Karl Rove: “I Didn't Say She Had Brain Damage”

Rove Addresses His Specious Clinton Health Claims On Fox

Written by Emily Arrowood

Published

Karl Rove is in damage-control mode after news broke that he reportedly suggested Hillary Clinton suffered a “traumatic brain injury” in a December 2012 fall.

The Fox contributor appeared on Fox News on May 13 to explain the remarks, reportedly made at a May 8 conference. His claims resurrected an event that right-wing media had previously exploited in order to smear Clinton and push a baseless claim that the administration was attempting to cover-up the truth behind the 2012 attacks in Benghazi, Libya. The then-secretary of state's testimony on the attacks before a House committee was delayed after her fall.

Rove attempted to clarify his remarks in a discussion with co-host Bill Hemmer, stating, “I didn't say she had brain damage.”

HEMMER: How did this comment come up suggesting that Hillary Clinton may suffer from brain damage? Where'd that come from, Karl?

ROVE: No, no, no, no. Wait a minute. No, no. I didn't say she had brain damage. She had a serious health episode.

Rove tossed around wild speculation about Hillary's health status, claiming, “We don't know what the doctors said about what does she have to be concerned about. Don't know about -- I mean she's hidden a lot of this.”  In an interview with the Washington Post published after his Fox appearance, Rove is quoted as saying, “Of course she doesn't have brain damage.” But he appeared to echo his speculation about her health to the Post as well:

“Of course she doesn't have brain damage,” he said in an interview with The Washington Post.

But Rove said that it is apparent that Clinton suffered “a serious health episode.” He added that if she runs for president in 2016, “she is going to have to be forthcoming” about the details of where, how and when it happened.

Contrary to Rove's claims on Fox, we do know happened to Clinton in 2012. She spent four days in the hospital after a blood clot was discovered in her brain several days after her fall. According to experts and the State Department, glasses worn by Clinton during her January 2013 testimony on the attacks in Benghazi were a corrective instrument meant to treat “double vision” as a result of her fall -- not traumatic brain injury.