Campaign spokesman: Clinton will disclose more medical info, likely be back on trail by end of week
Brian Fallon, the campaign press secretary, appeared on both CNN and MSNBC to assure the public that Clinton, the Democratic presidential nominee, would be back on the trail soon.
"If it was up to her, she would be traveling to California today," Fallon told MSNBC. "But it was her doctor's advice for her to change her schedule. So we're going to be down the next two days. She's going to take this opportunity to rest."
Fallon said he expects her back on the trail later this week.
"It was the staff that was really prevailing on her to keep her doctor's recommendation in mind and to take these next two days off," Fallon said. "But even just this morning, she's already been calling staff. She made a couple phone calls this morning."
Fallon also acknowledged that the campaign should have disclosed Clinton's pneumonia diagnosis sooner. She was diagnosed with the illness on Friday but the campaign did not publicize it until Sunday, when she had to leave a 9/11 memorial event early and was seen on video having trouble walking.
"The senior staff was aware on Friday and then word spread in the campaign after that," Fallon told CNN. "But look, it was her decision to want to press on, that is her impulse, and that's the type of president she would be, working her heart out."
CNN host Wolf Blitzer asked if the campaign would have disclosed the pneumonia diagnosis if video of Clinton stumbling into a vehicle after the 9/11 event hadn't surfaced.
"I think the video was not necessary to providing that information because as it was, she left the event early, we were already pressed to explain why she left early, and it took us a bit to get that information together to release a statement," Fallon said.
He continued: "But in retrospect, I think we should have provided more information more quickly, but yes, I think regardless of whether the video surface or not, in the aftermath of that event yesterday, I think we would have made the same decision to have her rest these next couple days and to disclose that she had been diagnosed with the pneumonia on Friday."
He clarified that the pneumonia is not contagious.
Fallon also said on MSNBC that the campaign would be releasing additional medical information on Clinton later this week.
"We've been in touch with her this morning and it is our intention that in the next couple of days we're going to be releasing additional medical information about Hillary Clinton," Fallon said. "[W]e're going to be releasing that to further put to rest any lingering concerns about what you saw yesterday."
Fallon assured viewers that Clinton is otherwise in good health.
"It really is the case that there is no other undisclosed condition," Fallon said. "The pneumonia is the extent of it."