Hillary Clinton is set back by decision to keep illness secret
- 8 years ago
Shortly after receiving a pneumonia diagnosis on Friday, Hillary Clinton decided to limit the information to her family members and close aides, believing the illness was not a crucial issue for voters and it might be twisted and exploited by her opponents.
Clinton’s decision backfired when her campaign scrambled to reassure voters Monday about her health after she grew visibly weak and was filmed being helped into a van.
But the manner in which Clinton’s illness became public created concern among supporters and skepticism among critics about her seemingly reflexive tendency to hunker down, often citing a “zone of privacy,” when she senses a political threat.
Clinton’s aides acknowledged they should have been more forthcoming and said she would release more details about her physical fitness and medical history this week.
Clinton’s decision backfired when her campaign scrambled to reassure voters Monday about her health after she grew visibly weak and was filmed being helped into a van.
But the manner in which Clinton’s illness became public created concern among supporters and skepticism among critics about her seemingly reflexive tendency to hunker down, often citing a “zone of privacy,” when she senses a political threat.
Clinton’s aides acknowledged they should have been more forthcoming and said she would release more details about her physical fitness and medical history this week.