Pneumonia diagnosis fuels questions about Clinton's health

For weeks, Hillary Clinton dismissed questions about her health as little more than a conspiracy theory, part of a "wacky strategy" cooked up by rival Donald Trump as he embraced an "alternative reality."

Those concerns are now unavoidable, made real by Clinton's abrupt departure Sept. 11 from a 9/11 anniversary ceremony and a video showing the Democratic nominee staggering and eventually slumping forward before being held up by three people as she was helped into a van.

The damage was compounded by the nearly eight hours of silence from Clinton and her team about the health scare, as well as the Sept. 11 evening disclosure she had been diagnosed on Sept. 9 with pneumonia.

Clinton's doctor said the 68-year-old former secretary of state "became overheated and dehydrated" at the 9/11 ceremony at ground zero. After an exam at her home in suburban New York, said Dr. Lisa R. Bardack, Clinton "is now rehydrated and recovering nicely."

But less than two months from Election Day, it was a problematic visual for Clinton as she tries to project the strength and vigor needed for one of the world's most demanding jobs. Late Sept. 11 night, she called off plans to travel to California for two days of fundraising, campaign events and an appearance on Ellen DeGeneres' talk show.

No longer can Trump's questions about her physical stamina be summarily dismissed. The episode was also sure to fuel a vocal group of online conspiracy theorists, deemed "healthers" by some Clinton supporters, who frequently point to videos and photos of Clinton as evidence of her poor health. Both candidates, who've released limited health records, are likely to now face calls to release more detailed information about their physical fitness.

The...