Once upon a time, Bill Clinton was the ultimate symbol of Democratic power. Despite the highly public Monica Lewinsky scandal, he was a very successful two-term president. Moreover, he presided over a strong economy that was propped up by the explosive popularity of the World Wide Web. In short, the future seemed like it was just around the corner when Clinton was in office, which is a big part of why his supporters see the ‘90s as the good old days.
Now, the future is here, and it’s not looking so great for Clinton himself. He had a health scare last year that required hospitalization. Now, a recent public appearance has even his biggest fans wondering whether he is secretly in far worse health than anyone knows. What happened at this public appearance, and how does it possibly tie into his history of health scares? Keep reading to find out!
Bill Clinton’s sudden hospital visit
Even though Bill Clinton has a history of health problems (more on this later), public concerns about his well-being didn’t kick into high gear until last year. The day before Christmas Eve 2024, it was reported that he developed a fever and had to stay in the hospital for observation. He was eventually diagnosed with the flu, received treatment, and discharged.
On paper, this all seems fairly routine. But the hospitalization of a former US president caught the attention of audiences worldwide. There were, of course, a few conspiracy theories about Clinton having been treated for something much more serious. Some of Clinton’s more practical supporters, meanwhile, were concerned about what a fever and flu could be doing to the former president’s elderly body, especially in light of his previous health issues.
Still, the public largely forgot about Clinton’s hospitalization. But a more recent incident has renewed speculation about the former president’s health and well-being.
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A more recent health scare goes viral
Bill Clinton’s most recent health scare didn’t involve a hospital visit or a scary diagnosis. Instead, it all started simply enough: as this video on X shows, he and Hillary Clinton were simply walking down the street when they encountered some fans who wanted autographs. Hillary seemed very sharp and friendly, offering warm smiles to her sudden throng of supporters.
However, the video also shows Bill Clinton losing his footing as he walked onto a sidewalk. He had to grasp the pole for support, and then he walked very slowly over to his wife and their supporters. When one enthusiastic fan said, “It’s an honor to meet you,” Bill stayed quiet rather than replying.
This would have looked bad enough on its own, but we can’t help but compare Bill to Hillary in this moment. She looked alert and was very quick-witted when talking to their fans. Compared to her, Bill seemed impossibly old, and this invited online comparisons to a certain other president.
Uncomfortable comparisons to Joe Biden
Obviously, there could be any number of reasons that Bill Clinton was awkward on his feet and quiet that day. Maybe he was just tired, or maybe he was dealing with something as simple as his foot being asleep. Nonetheless, many who saw the video instantly assumed something was wrong with Clinton, and some detractors wasted no time comparing him to Joe Biden.
Before publicly stepping down as the Democratic presidential nominee following his disastrous debate with Donald Trump, there were many signs that Joe Biden was unwell. This included frequent incidents of misspeaking (that his supporters said was just a stutter) and a slow way of walking (which online detractors dubbed “the Biden shuffle”).
Now, we know that Biden was dealing with some major health issues, including the prostate cancer diagnosis that he recently revealed. Because of this, many cannot help but think that Bill Clinton’s shuffling walk and lack of response to a fan may also be symptoms of a larger health problem that we just don’t know about.
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A history of concerning health scares
At this point, you might be dismissing all of these concerns about Bill Clinton’s health as rumors and speculation. However, they are rooted in some real problems from this former president’s past. For example, he had to be treated for skin cancer in 2001 and had to have quadruple bypass surgery in 2004. He had two stints put in his heart in 2010 and was hospitalized for a urinary tract infection in 2021.
Collectively, all of this has been enough to make supporters and detractors alike worry about Bill Clinton’s recent public appearance. He may be in worse health than he has let on, and this could spell doom for the Democrats who still look at Clinton as a symbol of the party’s glory days. With any luck, though, Clinton was just having a bad day, and we’ll soon see a return to the spry national leader who loves to crack jokes and win people over.