Democratic National Committee interim chair Donna Brazile said Sunday that Hillary Clinton inspired her after her widely seen fainting spell last week, because even though "she had to be lifted into that van," she got up and kept fighting.
Clinton left a 9/11 memorial event in New York early last Sunday, complaining of feeling overheated, and was videoed nearly collapsing as she was helped into her van. Her campaign later revealed she was diagnosed pneumonia two days earlier, leading to criticism of not disclosing the illness earlier.
MSNBC host Joy Reid, who worked for Barack Obama's 2008 campaign, asked if Clinton could make a "new first impression" on skeptical voters at the first debate with Donald Trump on Sept. 26. Clinton is historically unfavorable among Democratic candidates, and a majority of the country consistently says it does not trust her.
"You know, I've known her for 33 years, and I heard her last night," Brazile said. "Every time I hear Hillary Clinton, I'm always inspired by her. I'm inspired by her example, because she's someone who will lead us. I'm inspired by her fortitude and her resilience, because no matter how tired she was, how hurting—I mean, she was hurting, and she went out there last Sunday, Joy, because she loved her constituents, and she wanted to stand up for them.
"And although she had to be lifted into that van, you know what? She got up, like most of us, she got up and she kept fighting, so that's the Hillary Clinton that I hope people get to know."