Social media lit up like a Christmas tree Saturday after Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton's subdued, even sleepy response to a bomb that went off in midtown Manhattan, injuring more than two dozen New Yorkers.
Was she drugged? Is there something wrong with this picture? You be the judge. Watch the video here or at the end of this story, recorded aboard her plane Saturday night.
The Twitter thread reported on F2 E-Business News was brutal but typical of public reaction:
- "Is she drunk or did she have a stroke the other day when she collapsed?"
- "That's old and tired, not drunk."
- (Response) "What difference does it make?"
- "Looks like they threw a Clean Diaper on her and told her to make a statement."
- "This is what she looks like on 12 hours sleep instead of 18 hours sleep."
One commenter on The Gateway Pundit wrote, "Hillary delivered one speech today to the Black Caucus members in Washington DC. ... Donald Trump held four events in three states: Texas, Oklahoma and Colorado. ... And the media is downplaying the blast to protect Hillary."
Gateway Facebook comments include these:
- Larry Hutchinson, owner of Kimcor Trucking: "You can tell that she has that ear piece in and they are telling her what to say."
- Wren Graham, Calloway County, Kent.: "She looks sick, and sounds heavily medicated."
- Lateef Robinson, Daytona State College: "Well she is recovering from pneumonia and she's doped on all kinds of drugs this ain't surprising."
- (Response) Larry Hutchinson: "Sounds like excuses to me. I think she is slow to respond because she is repeating what they tell her in the ear piece."
- Elaine Koop, Grand Rapids, Mich.: "They had to put her out there!! She is sick & tired & has to be in bed with 2 gin & tonics by 8:00PM!! Prop her up & send her out & hope it changes the "script"!!"
- David J. Excell Sr., Utica, N.Y.: "Looks like she is going to throw up again."
Various online sources have reported anywhere from 600,000 to 800,000 people around the world speculated in social media on Hillary's "condition" during the Saturday night interview.
Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump, like Hillary Clinton, called the attack "a bombing" -- though Clinton, when prompted, later said she would rather wait for responders to finish their investigation before categorizing it.
Trump had just arrived in Colorado for a Saturday evening rally when he learned about the incident.
"I must tell you that just before I got off the plane, a bomb went off in New York and nobody knows exactly what's going on," he said. "But boy, we are living in a time -- we better get very tough folks, we better get very, very tough. ...
"Just happened, so we'll find out, but it's a terrible thing that's going on in our world and in our country and we are going to get tough and smart and vigilant and we're gonna end it. We're gonna end it.'
Andrew Cuomo confirmed Sunday the blast was caused by some kind of bomb, but the attack didn't appear to be linked to international terrorism. Speaking near the scene of the Saturday night blast, Cuomo told reporters a second device found blocks away from the first explosion appeared "similar in design" to the first, though investigators are still testing its remnants after it was removed by a bomb squad robot and blown up at a police facility in the Bronx.
New York Mayor Bill de Blasio said Sunday that authorities don't yet know who made it, who set it off or the motivation behind it but called the blast an "intentional act." Cuomo added that whoever is responsible for planting the device "will be brought to justice."
Most mainstream media outlets have discussed what Clinton said but not how she said it.
Reach Nancy Smith at nsmith@sunshinestatenews.com or at 228-282-423. Twitter: @NancyLBSmith
