Hillary Resumes Campaigning After Pneumonia As Race Tightens

NEW YORK, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News -15th Sept,2016) : Hillary Clinton, the Democratic presidential candidate, will focus on her "aspirational vision" for supporting children and families as she returns to the campaign trail on Thursday, as the campaign tries to draw distinctions with her Republican rival Donald Trump amid tightening poll numbers.

In the final stretch before the Nov. 8 election, Clinton was slated to attend a rally in North Carolina and speak at a dinner in Washington. The 68-year-old had rested at her home in Chappaqua, New York, for three days after being diagnosed with pneumonia and falling ill at a Sept.

11 memorial ceremony on Sunday. With the candidates' health in the spotlight, Trump, 70, on Thursday released details of a recent physical examination, a day after Clinton released details on her medical condition.

The Democratic presidential nominee said on a radio show Thursday that she would release more medical records beyond a Wednesday letter from her doctor detailing her pneumonia and routine lab tests that indicated normal results.

"We really want to respond to legitimate questions that people might have," Clinton said. "I'm very touched by the concern that has been set forth about my health." Clinton is seeking to shift the focus back to her campaign message "stronger together" as both national polling averages and surveys in Ohio and Florida show Trump has erased her earlier advantage.

One upside to Hillary Clinton's break from the trail was having time to sharpen the final argument she will present to voters in these closing weeks," Jennifer Palmieri, Clinton's communications director, said in an email to reporters.

"Our campaign readily admits that running against a candidate as controversial as Donald Trump means it is harder to be heard," Palmieri said, adding that "it is incumbent on us to work harder to make sure voters hear that vision.

" After the health episode, the campaign is also facing questions about transparency.

Clinton aides initially gave differing explanations of her condition, including that she was simply "overheated." It was after amateur video footage of her stumbling into her van emerged that the campaign disclosed her pneumonia diagnosis.

In addition, a batch of former secretary of State Colin Powell's hacked emails made public this week included one in which he said Clinton "screws up" everything with "hubris." Clinton responded to transparency questions on the radio show: "I've worked very, very hard to be more transparent than not just my opponent but really, in a comparison to anybody who's run," said.

Clinton cited medical records with details similar to what President Barack Obama and his Republican competitor, Mitt Romney, provided in 2012, as well as 40 years worth of tax returns she's made public.

Trump has thus far refused to release his tax returns, even those which are not under audit, or provide further details on his charitable contributions. Clinton would not directly address Powell's criticisms, which included calling Trump a "national disgrace." "What I think is really important about the emails is the chilling fact," she said, "that the Russians are continuing to attempt to interfere in our election." The emails were first posted by DCLeaks.com, a site MSNBC has reported has ties to Russian intelligence.

"I'm increasingly concerned by how we've seen Donald Trump's alarming closeness with the Kremlin become more and more clear over the course of this campaign. It's deeply concerning," Clinton said.