NEW YORK – Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton fell ill on Sunday as she became “overheated” and had to leave early from a September 11 memorial ceremony in New York City. The video came from an unverified Twitter account under the name Zdenek Gazda, who did not respond to a request for comment. The Clinton campaign did not respond to repeated requests for comment about the authenticity of the video. The incident comes less than 60 days before the Nov. 8 presidential election and at a time of intense campaigning against Republican rival Donald Trump. Clinton had no more events on her schedule for Sunday and went, as previously planned, to her home in Chappaqua, New York, 30 miles (50 km) north of New York City. Clinton left the memorial event after about 90 minutes while it was still underway, Nick Merrill, a Clinton spokesman, said. “During the ceremony, she felt overheated so departed to go to her daughter’s apartment, and is feeling much better,” Merrill said in a statement. As the solemn event began on Sunday at the site of the World Trade Center that was attacked by two hijacked airliners 15 years ago, there was patchy sunlight, with temperatures at about 80 degrees Fahrenheit (26.6 Celsius). But the high humidity caused it to feel much hotter in the crowd at times. Democratic Representative Joe Crowley of New York, a Clinton supporter who attended the event, told Reuters that it was “incredibly, stiflingly hot” during the ceremony. After some U.S. media reported she had fallen ill, reporters traveling with the candidate did not get an immediate response from the campaign to questions about her whereabouts and her health. About 90 minutes elapsed before the campaign issued its statement.The incident brought more questions about her health back into the headlines, as they have throughout the campaign. Trump has repeatedly raised questions about Clinton’s health and whether she had the “stamina” to serve as president. In December 2012, Clinton suffered a concussion and shortly afterward developed a blood clot. In the investigation on her handling of classified documents and her private server, she told investigators that the concussion was to blame for her clouded memory on security briefings when she was leaving her job as secretary of state.In a letter released by her doctor in July 2015, Clinton was described as being in “excellent health” and “fit to serve” in the White House. It noted that her current medical conditions include hyperthyroidism and seasonal pollen allergies. However brief her illness was, it comes in the wake of some tough days for Clinton, as national polls showed her lead over Trump evaporate over the last month. A Reuters/Ipsos poll of likely voters showed an 8-point lead for Clinton in August, but the same poll last week showed her even with Trump.. On Saturday, Clinton came under fire from Republicans and on social media for saying Friday night that “half” of Trump’s supporters belonged in a “basket of deplorables.” She later said she regretted using the word “half.” Clinton’s speech at a campaign rally earlier this month in Cleveland was interrupted by a coughing spell. During the speech, she quipped, “Every time I think about Trump I get allergic.” She then resumed her speech. That episode fueled speculation from conservative political quarters about her health. Twitter users have been tweeting theories regarding Clinton’s health under the hashtag #HillarysHealth.Reuters News Service contributed to this report.
