As Donald Trump supporters and the media continue to engage in wild speculation about what we may or may not know about Hillary Clinton’s health, the Democratic nominee herself called into CNN to set the record straight.
In the call-in interview with Anderson Cooper, Clinton said she didn’t think her cough was that big a deal, citing common allergies she experiences, but she decided to see her doctor when it didn’t dissipate.
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Clinton says her cough “seemed like it was an allergy” but then “it didn’t dissipate,” so she went to see the doctor https://t.co/L9rV26B0VL
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— CNN Politics (@CNNPolitics) September 13, 2016
Clinton said:
Well, it sure seemed like an allergy because I’ve had these seasonal allergies off and on, and it does come with a cough. I’ve got lots of examples in the spring and the fall of getting a bit of a coughing fit, and then it dissipates. What happened this time, though, was it didn’t dissipate and that’s why when I got off the road on Friday, I did go to see my doctor, and that’s’ when I was diagnosed with pneumonia.
The Democratic nominee also added that New York Sen. Chuck Schumer told her during the Sept. 11 memorial that he, too, was recovering from pneumonia for the past five days.
Cooper asked Clinton why she didn’t disclose the illness on Friday when she was diagnosed.
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Clinton on not disclosing pneumonia diagnosis on Friday: “I just didn’t think it was going to be that big a deal.” https://t.co/1lGeoxkx9m
— CNN (@CNN) September 13, 2016
Clinton said:
Well, I just didn’t think it was going to be that big a deal … If it happens to you and you’re a busy and active person, you keep moving forward. And I think it’s fair to say, Anderson, that people know more about me than almost anyone in public life. They’ve got 40 years of my tax returns, tens of thousands of emails, a detailed medical letter report, all kinds of personal details – and, you know, it’s just so strange that, with all of that information out there, as soon as it became clear I couldn’t power through, we said what was going on.
“Oh my goodness, Anderson, compare everything you know about me with my opponent,” Clinton added. “I think it’s time he met the same level of disclosure that I have for years.”
It’s clear that Hillary Clinton isn’t just feeling better, but that she is having none of the repeated accusations by her opponent and the media that she is gravely ill and has something to hide.
Sean Colarossi currently resides in Cleveland, Ohio. He earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism from the University of Massachusetts Amherst and was an organizing fellow for both of President Obama’s presidential campaigns. He also worked with Planned Parenthood as an Affordable Care Act Outreach Organizer in 2014, helping northeast Ohio residents obtain health insurance coverage.