Clinton admits 2016 near-fainting incident was a mistake

Former Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton stated on Wednesday that continuing to campaign while suffering from pneumonia in 2016 was a mistake. The admission came during an interview with Kara Swisher for their new joint podcast, where Clinton revisited the widely circulated video of her appearing to stagger and nearly faint after a September 11 commemoration ceremony.

The discussion was prompted by comments from Texas Democratic Senate nominee James Talarico, who had taken a nine-day absence from the campaign trail after contracting the flu. Talarico's withdrawal from public appearances fueled a viral online rumor alleging he had been secretly admitted to an Ohio mental health facility, a claim that both Clinton and Swisher described as easily disproven.

Clinton compared her own experience with Talarico's, noting that critics portrayed her as being on death's door after the 2016 video went viral. Swisher stated that President Donald Trump was quantumly sicker than Clinton had been, adding that they hide it, and asked Clinton to respond to the comparison.

Clinton recalled that medical professionals had tested her and diagnosed pneumonia, advising her to take five or six days off. She said she initially resisted the advice because she felt obligated to appear at the September 11 ceremony, given her service as a senator during the original attacks. She concluded that keeping up her schedule was a mistake.

Clinton argued that the resulting media coverage, which focused on a video of her struggling to reach a car for breath, effectively dominated social and traditional media narratives. She asserted that the criticism regarding her health was hypocritical, pointing to a lack of honest medical reports from opponents.

Fox News Digital contacted Clinton's team for comment. White House spokesman Davis Ingle responded by telling Clinton she should move on from the 2016 election. Ingle characterized President Trump as having sharpness and unmatched energy, contrasting this with what he described as a cover-up of Joe Biden's mental and physical decline by Democrats and legacy media during the previous administration. Ingle stated that Trump remains in excellent health while Clinton continues to complain about her election defeat.

At the time of the incident, a law enforcement source described Clinton as clearly having some type of medical episode as she fell while moving toward a van and required security assistance. Clinton's campaign subsequently issued a statement confirming she was fighting pneumonia and felt overheated. The episode led to press criticism regarding the campaign's failure to disclose the diagnosis promptly and its handling of media inquiries.