Former US President Bill Clinton has been hospitalised with a fever, his deputy chief of staff has confirmed.
The Democratic Party heavyweight was rushed to MedStar Georgetown University Hospital in Washington on Monday, December 23.
He was admitted yesterday afternoon according to Angel Urena, who previously worked as Clinton’s spokesman for 12 years, to undergo “testing and observation”.
The former President, who served two terms in the White House between 1993 and 2001, “remains in good spirits and deeply appreciates the excellent care he is recieving,” Mr Urena said.
The 78-year-old, who was among the party grandees backing Kamala Harris‘ unsuccessful bid for the presidency in November, has faced other health scares since leaving office.
He underwent quadruple bypass surgery after experiencing prolonged chest pains and shortness of breath in 2004, was hospitalised with a partially collapsed lung in 2005 and had two stents implanted in a coronary artery in 2010.
The latest scare comes after Clinton shocked viewers by his appearance and tone during a speech at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago this summer, with commentators suggesting that “his voice [has] weakened” and he “does not sound good”.
Clinton responded to ill-health following his exit from the White House by embracing a vegan diet that saw him lose weight and report a boost to wellbeing.
He was also hospitalised for six days in California in 2021 for an infection reported to be unrelated to coronavirus. An aide to the 42nd president said he had a urological invection that spread to his blood stream but that he didn’t go into septic shock and hadn’t recieved intensive care.
And the 78-year-old revealed that he had tested positive for coronavirus in November 2022, describing his symptoms as “mild” and expressing gratitude for being “vaccinated and boosted”.
A source close to the former president told NBC that the latest situation is “not urgent” and he is expected to be “fine”, with reports suggesting that he is awake and alert.
Despite surprising some with his aged appearance, Clinton was an active presence on Kamala Harris‘ campaign trail, spending the autumn speaking in support of the Vice President in a number of battleground states.
He has also been on the road since November promoting his new book, ‘Citizen: My Life After the White House’.