Newsweek's Kurt Eichenwald Excoriates Sean Hannity For Pushing Conspiracies About Clinton's Health

Eichenwald: “I Have Seizures” And “It Was Incredibly Offensive That Sean Hannity Took Something That No Competent Doctor Would Ever Say Was A Seizure … And Try And Make It Into A Medical Case”

From the August 16 edition of CNN's CNN Newsroom with Carol Costello:

Video file

CAROL COSTELLO (HOST): So, Kurt, some comments that Sean Hannity made on his show inspired you to write a column for Newsweek. I just want to play some ofHannity's remarks so people can understand. Let's listen. 

[BEGIN VIDEO]

SEAN HANNITY: Let me go back to this video, Dr. Siegel, that's on the screen now. We'll put it up again. It's a violent, violent, repetitive jerking of the head here. Now, you can see it's uncontrollable. Watch the reporter like, pull back as -- the reporter got scared and she keeps doing it. What is that? 

[END VIDEO]

COSTELLO: OK, so Kurt, you were watching that and?

KURT EICHENWALD: It's nothing. Sean Hannity tried to say that it was seizures. I have seizures, and I’ve got to tell you, it was incredibly offensive that Sean Hannity took something that no competent doctor would ever say was a seizure -- it was Hillary Clinton goofing around -- and try and make it into a medical case. 

And I also want to talk about what your other guest just said, which is “people are saying.” This is the Trump garbage approach, which is you get all the conspiracy theorists online talking about something, you get Sean Hannity talking about something, and then they say, “well, people want to know.” Here's what I want to know. You've have talked about Hillary Clinton's letter. Here is the letter from Donald Trump's doctor. And I will say flat out, this is not a real letter. Because what you have, number one, it's not from an internist. It's from a doctor who treats digestive problems. Number two, he says that all of Mr. Trump's medical tests are positive. That means that everything he was tested for, he has. No competent or real doctor would write this. It also says such things as, “Donald Trump will be the healthiest president in the history of the United States.” That sounds a lot like Donald Trump. It doesn't have a real letterhead. The letterhead was written on Microsoft word. 

So, they want all of Hillary Clinton's medical records released. Her letter has within it the test results, what tests were done, what the -- medical history. None of that Donald Trump has released. So if you want to start a -- 

AMY KREMER: Kurt, are you a physician? Are you a physician? Because, I don't  think you're qualified -- from my understanding, you're not a physician, and you're not qualified to say what is accurate and what’s not with Donald Trump or Hillary Clinton.

COSTELLO: But Amy, Hillary Clinton released her medical records. 

KREMER: I don't think she has released her medical records. 

EICHENWALD: I have not said a word -- OK, please stop lying. 

KREMER: Excuse me?

EICHENWALD: I have not said a word about Donald Trump's health. What I have said is this is not a real letter. Because, if you have a doctor who thinks that a test result is positive, that means you have tested positive for the problem. That is not something that requires a medical degree. That is something that requires basic, general knowledge. If your doctor is telling you that you are testing positive for every disease he is checking for, then, yeah, you do not have a competent doctor. This is a gastroenterologist. He doesn't have an internist, according to his own letter. He says this is his primary physician, a doctor who treats digestive problems. I am not putting into question Mr. Trump's health. What I'm saying is, if they want the medical records, then we need an internist to give a real result of his exams. Give the answers as to what his tests are.

Previously:

Watch CNN's Media Critic Blast Hannity For Spreading “Conspiracy Theories About Hillary Clinton's Health”

Sean Hannity Dedicates Entire Segment To Debunked Conspiracy Theory About Clinton's Health

Watch As Sean Hannity Fails To Convince Doctors That Hillary Clinton Suffers From Seizures

Hannity Responds To Trump Campaign Troubles With Clinton Health Conspiracy Parade