Hillary Clinton’s age and health are valid campaign issues if the 66-year-old Democrat makes another run for US president in 2016, the Republican Party leader said on Sunday.
Reince Priebus, the Republican National Committee chairman, was asked on NBC’s “Meet the Press” about Republican strategist Karl Rove’s reported comments that Clinton might have suffered brain damage from a 2012 blood clot. Priebus refused to distance himself from Rove’s remarks or say he should apologise.
“I think that health and age is fair game,” Priebus said. “It was fair game for Ronald Reagan. It was fair game for John McCain.”
Reagan took office in 1981 at age 69; McCain, the Republican candidate in 2008, was 72 on Election Day that year.
The New York Post reported that Rove made the suggestion at a recent conference. Rove denied using the phrase, but told Fox News Clinton’s health would be an issue should she run.
