Hillary Clinton Calls 2016 Pneumonia Diagnosis Handling a 'Mistake'

Hillary Clinton acknowledged that continuing her 2016 presidential campaign after being diagnosed with pneumonia was a "mistake." The former secretary of state made the admission during the inaugural episode of her new podcast, "High Stakes," with CNN contributor Kara Swisher.

Clinton was diagnosed with pneumonia on September 9, 2016, and advised to rest. Despite this, she attended a 9/11 commemoration ceremony in Manhattan two days later, where she experienced a notable fainting spell and had to be helped into a vehicle. At the time, she stated she did not disclose the diagnosis because she "just didn't think it was going to be that big a deal."

Clinton's then-communications director, Jennifer Palmieri, later characterized the lack of disclosure as poor management. The incident became a focal point for her opponent, Donald Trump, who used footage of her struggle to question her health and stamina for the presidency. Clinton ultimately lost the election in November 2016.

"I, uh, kept going, which was a mistake," Clinton told Swisher, recalling the public reaction. "They did have the video of me struggling to get to the car to be able to, you know, take some breaths and recover myself. From my perspective, it worked because it was just papering social media, papering traditional media: 'I was dying. I was lying about my health.'"

Clinton contrasted the scrutiny of her health with that of Trump, stating, "This is from a guy who has never given us an honest medical report ever. Ever."

Clinton compared the discourse surrounding her condition to the current scrutiny faced by Texas Democratic Senate nominee James Talarico, who was absent from the campaign trail for nine days due to the flu. She noted how her own situation was amplified, saying, "They, you know, painted me like I was on death's door."

The new podcast, "High Stakes," will focus on the midterm elections, with the possibility of continuing if it garners sufficient audience interest, Clinton told The New York Times. She expressed the urgency of the current political climate, stating, "I don’t think the stakes for our country and the world have ever been higher than they are in November." She added, "People are hungry for real conversation about what’s happening in our democracy and what it will mean for their families, and I can’t think of a better partner for that than Kara."