Former Obama adviser David Axelrod needles Hillary Clinton for her 'unhealthy penchant for privacy'


The press has expressed frustration over Hillary Clinton's failure to make public the fact that she was suffering from pneumonia this weekend, and now the chief strategist for Barack Obama's presidential campaigns, David Axelrod, has piled onto the criticism:
Clinton was mysteriously rushed away from the 9/11 Memorial in New York City on Sunday after appearing unsteady on her feet in videos captured by witnesses. Her doctor later reported that she had been diagnosed with pneumonia Friday and was on antibiotics.
"It ... shows what happens when the Clinton campaign fails to treat those reporters as a true protective pool, which would travel in the same Secret Service protected-motorcade to every place the candidate goes," Washington Post reporter Anne Gearan, who chairs the Clinton campaign press pool, told CNNMoney. "The pool was left behind when she abruptly left the memorial, and was not kept apprised of what was happening in real time."
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
While Donald Trump and his allies have repeatedly pushed conspiracy theories about Clinton's health, the Republican nominee has reportedly decided against using her illness as a talking point. Trump's campaign manager Kellyanne Conway even agreed with Axelrod about the "unnecessary" controversy, retweeting him with the comment, "Whoa. Well said."
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.
-
Gordon Corera chooses his favourite spy novels
The Week Recommends The journalist picks works by James Wolff, Graham Greene and John le Carré
-
Properties of the week: gorgeous Georgian houses
The Week Recommends Featuring homes in Norfolk, Suffolk and Kent
-
How do your student loans affect your credit score?
The Explainer People's scores are dropping as student loan payments resume
-
Kennedy ousts entire CDC vaccine advisory panel
speed read Health Secretary RFK Jr. is a longtime anti-vaccine activist who has criticized the panel of experts
-
RFK Jr. scraps Covid shots for pregnant women, kids
Speed Read The Health Secretary announced a policy change without informing CDC officials
-
New FDA chiefs limit Covid-19 shots to elderly, sick
speed read The FDA set stricter approval standards for booster shots
-
US overdose deaths plunged 27% last year
speed read Drug overdose still 'remains the leading cause of death for Americans aged 18-44,' said the CDC
-
Trump seeks to cut drug prices via executive order
speed read The president's order tells pharmaceutical companies to lower prescription drug prices, but it will likely be thrown out by the courts
-
RFK Jr. visits Texas as 2nd child dies from measles
Speed Read An outbreak of the vaccine-preventable disease continues to grow following a decade of no recorded US measles deaths
-
Shingles vaccine cuts dementia risk, study finds
Speed Read Getting vaccinated appears to significantly reduce the chances of developing Alzheimer's and other forms of dementia
-
Measles outbreak spreads, as does RFK Jr.'s influence
Speed Read The outbreak centered in Texas has grown to at least three states and Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is promoting unproven treatments