Hillary
Clinton's presidential campaign was dealt a blow Sunday when the Democratic
nominee fell sick and had to leave a 9/11 memorial ceremony in New York, an
episode sure to fuel Donald Trump's insinuations that she is not healthy enough
for the nation's top office.
The former
secretary of state was at the high-profile ceremony at Ground Zero in Manhattan
for 90 minutes and greeted some family members of those killed in the deadly
terror strikes 15 years ago, her campaign said in a statement.
"During
the ceremony, she felt overheated so departed to go to her daughter's
apartment, and is feeling much better," the statement said.
An AFP
journalist at the ceremony noted that Clinton, dressed in a navy suit and white
blouse, was greeting people as she left and did not appear to be rushing out.
She walked out accompanied by an aide at her elbow.
However, a
video posted on Twitter showed Clinton seeming unsteady as she waited to get
into a black van. She appeared to stumble as she was helped into the vehicle,
held up on either side by members of her entourage.
It was a humid
day in New York, with temperatures around 82 degrees Fahrenheit (28 Celsius).
Clinton
reappeared a few hours later, apparently recovered as she walked out of her
daughter Chelsea's home. She smiled for the media and posed for pictures with a
young girl before departing in a vehicle for her home in Chappaqua.
"I'm
feeling great, it's a beautiful day in New York," Clinton said.
- Health
issues? -
Trump was
uncharacteristically silent on Twitter after Clinton's illness, as both
candidates took a break from formal campaigning to mark the somber day of
remembrance in the United States.
But the
businessman, his spokespeople and surrogates have promoted the idea in recent
weeks that Clinton, 68, has serious health problems.
The internet
is awash with claims that she may have a brain tumor, Parkinson's or dementia.
Some complain that she has "seizure-like facial expressions" and
others allege that she twitches.
Trump, 70, has
said Clinton is "not strong enough to be president" and that she
"lacks the mental and physical stamina to take on ISIS."
Former New
York mayor Rudy Giuliani, a Trump supporter, has said that Clinton was
"tired" and "looked sick."
Trump
spokeswoman Katrina Pierson, who is not a doctor, last month diagnosed Clinton
with dysphasia, a disorder that impairs speech and comprehension.
The root of
the claims lies in 2012, when Clinton was nearing the end of her stint as
secretary of state and a stomach virus and dehydration prompted her to faint,
causing what her doctor said was a concussion.
They said they
found a blood clot on the brain and Clinton complained of double vision. She
appeared in spectacles featuring a prism when testifying before Congress on
Benghazi in January 2013. She was later given the all-clear.
The former
first lady has dismissed "conspiracy theories" about her health and
points to a detailed report from her doctor declaring her fit to serve as
president.
She blamed a
coughing fit during a speech in Cleveland last week on allergies.
- 'Vitality
and viability' -
Clinton's
sudden illness is unlikely to be a turning point in the White House race, said
Jennifer Lawless, a professor of government at American University in
Washington.
From all
indications, it appears to just be a brief bout of overheating, she told AFP.
"What the
Clinton campaign needs to do over the course of the next several days is
demonstrate her vitality and viability. She has to be at tons of events and
seem very energetic," Lawless said.
Clinton had
been trying to move on from a blunder in which she told a crowd at a fundraiser
late Friday that "to be grossly generalistic, you could put half of
Trump's supporters into what I call the basket of deplorables."
"The
racist, sexist, homophobic, xenophobic, Islamophobic -- you name it."
Trump and his
supporters slammed the remarks. Clinton said she regretted saying
"half," but then listed a number of "deplorable" things
about Trump.
"I won't
stop calling out bigotry and racist rhetoric in this campaign," she said.
A Washington
Post-ABC News poll out Sunday -- conducted in the days before she made the
remark -- shows that 70 percent of the electorate has already decided who to
vote for, and only 30 percent are undecided or could switch.
Clinton leads
Trump 46 percent to 41 percent lead among likely voters, according to the poll,
which had a 4.5 percentage-point margin of error.
AFP
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