Clinton spokesman: Campaign could have released health info more quickly
Hillary Clinton has spoken to her campaign staff about the time it took to inform the public about her pneumonia diagnosis, CBS News’ Nancy Cordes reports.
“In retrospect, we probably could have released more information more quickly,” spokesman Brian Fallon said in an interview with Cordes.
Asked if there was a discussion on Friday about whether to announce the diagnosis immediately, Fallon said, “Secretary Clinton, you know, I think she felt that this is a common thing that people have in terms of pneumonia, a lot of people will work through things like this.”
In an eight-minute interview from her Chappaqua, New York home on Monday night, Clinton described what led her legs to buckle beneath her as she was helped into a van at ground zero in the middle of the 9/11 memorial event on Sunday.
“I could, you know, feel how hot and humid it was. I felt overheated,” she told CNN by phone. “And I did lose my balance for a minute, but once I got in, once I could sit down, once I could cool off, once I had some water, I immediately started feeling better.”
Clinton rejected suggestions that she had been too secretive about her health issue.
“You know, compare everything you know about me with my opponent. I think it’s time he met the same level of disclosure that I have for years,” she said.
Meanwhile, Vice President Joe Biden campaigned for Clinton in Charlotte on Monday and told voters there’s nothing to worry about.
“Hillary’s health is good. (laughter) I’ve had pneumonia,” he said. “I don’t know about any of you. I’ve had walking pneumonia. What you do, you take antibiotics and you rest a little bit.”
Speaking to reporters in Rock Hill, South Carolina, Biden said that the Clinton campaign staff acknowledged that “they screwed up.”
“The staff acknowledged that they should have, on Friday, just straight up said she’s been diagnosed with pneumonia,” he said.
Biden added that he’d like to see Donald Trump’s health report, and added, “I’d like to jog with him. I don’t think he could keep up.”