There are even more questions now about the state of Hillary Clinton’s health. The Clinton campaign continues to deny she has any hidden medical issues — yet the revelation that there is a bed in the back of her accessible security van, plus the cancellation of a press conference that offered her no podium to lean on, are two more reasons to care about her health status.
A document released Sunday discussed Hillary’s “very luxurious” and specially outfitted van, which has a bed in the rear of the vehicle. This is compelling in light of the fact that she allegedly never went to the hospital after she collapsed on the morning of 9/11 in Manhattan — instead, she went to the apartment of her daughter, Chelsea Clinton.
“The van, however, isn’t an everyday minivan or even a full-sized van,” said the email dated April 4, 2015, quoting an article that appeared in The Weekly Standard. It was shared between a member of Clinton’s team and [email protected], her Google rapid response team.
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“It’s a luxury vehicle outfitted with top amenities,” the article said. “Specifically: It’s a limited edition Chevrolet Express van upfitted with a Limited SE packed by Explorer Vans company. ‘It’s very luxurious,’ a salesman who helped deliver this vehicle tells me [the writer] on the phone. ‘I’d rank it up there with the best.'”
The article shared by the Clinton team described the model used to chauffeur Hillary around. “[It] has a gray leather interior, heated seat, a 29-inch Samsung television, and a Blu-ray DVD player. There is no refrigerator in the van. However, Hillary’s model does feature an ice chest between the two front seats … The middle chairs are swivel and quick release. Indirect lighting (like mood lighting) throughout the van. Oh, and there’s a bed. The power sofa in the rear of the vehicle converts into a bed.”
Short of a Bloomberg report in April 2015, it’s tough to find additional references to the van’s amenities — until September 2016, when an article in True Pundit said former security agents had revealed that not only did the back seats fold down into a bed, the van was also equipped with an automated external defibrillator.
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That article stated there are two bulletproof “Scooby Vans,” not one — adding that one often serves as a decoy. And it cited a price tag: “The estimated taxpayer-funded price tag of each van is $225,000, not including the most recent purchase, which was sent back to the factory for a new hand-stitched leather interior when Hillary didn’t like the original seat colors,” True Pundit reported.
Another WikiLeaks email potentially offering insight into Hillary’s frail or at least compromised health status is from Oct. 22, 2015. It revealed a series of exchanges between Huma Abedin, Clinton’s top aide, and Dan Schwerin, director of speechwriting for her campaign. The two worked to shorten a Clinton statement to the press after the Benghazi hearings because she wouldn’t have a podium.
On Oct. 22, 2015, at 5:48 p.m., Dan Schwerin wrote:
What do folks think about this as a post-game statement she could make to press?
• I came here today to honor the service of four Americans killed in the line of duty and to contribute in every way I could to learning the lessons of Benghazi and better protecting our people in the field. That’s why I answered every question the Committee asked for X hours.
• As I said at the outset, I hoped we would put aside partisanship and reach for statesmanship. After all, our country has a long history of bipartisan cooperation on national security. And to sustain our leadership around the world, we need responsible leadership here at home.
• Unfortunately, that’s not what we saw today. I’m disappointed that the Committee wasted so much time on questions with little or no relevance to the attacks in Benghazi or improvements we should make going forward. Coming on the heels of seven previous Congressional investigations and a non-partisan Accountability Review Board, it’s hard to see how today’s hearing added anything to our understanding of these important issues.
• As this eighth investigation now comes to a close, I think we can all agree we’ve seen enough political theater. It’s time for Congress to step up and work with the administration to provide the resources and reforms we need to better protect our diplomats and ensure the United States can continue to be represented in dangerous places.
• I am going to continue making the case for smart American leadership in the world and I will always be an advocate for the brave men and women who serve our country.
Abedin’s response to Schwerin’s query: “I would make it shorter only because it’s a bank of Mics and no podium.”
Hillary Clinton gave no statement that evening.
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