Video of stumbling Hillary Clinton leaving 9/11 memorial goes viral

She departed the event after about 90 minutes while the ceremony was underway

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.

Clinton, 68, was taken to her daughter Chelsea's home in Manhattan, and emerged a few hours later wearing sunglasses and telling reporters that she was "feeling great."

This IS NOT heat related. #HillarysHealth pic.twitter.com/PFNfCEVFrV

— John Cardillo (@johncardillo) September 11, 2016

The news of her overheating on the hot, muggy New York morning comes less than 60 days before the Nov 8 presidential election and at a time of intense campaigning against Republican rival Donald Trump.

Clinton 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 spokesperson, 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 US 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.



Trump makes health an issue

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 a letter released by her doctor in July, 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 evaporating.

A Reuters/Ipsos poll of likely voters showed an 8-point lead for Clinton has vanished since the last week of August. Trump garnered the support of 39.7 percent against 39 per cent for Clinton, according to the poll released on Saturday. Also 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. But the episode fueled speculation from conservative political quarters about her health. Trump supporters have been tweeting unsubstantiated theories regarding Clinton's health under the hashtag #HillarysHealth.

Trump, 70, has also been under pressure to release detailed information on his health and medical history. Instead, in December, Trump's doctor wrote in a short letter that was made public that his blood pressure and laboratory results "were astonishingly excellent" and that he would be "the healthiest individual ever elected to the presidency."

Since then, the doctor has told NBC News that he wrote the letter in about five minutes, saying he was "rushed" and "anxious" as a limousine was awaiting him.