Sanders cancels campaign events after heart procedure
His campaign says he will be resting over the next few days but is in “good spirits.”
Bernie Sanders experienced chest discomfort during a campaign event Tuesday evening and had two stents inserted to address a blockage in an artery, his campaign announced.
“Sen. Sanders is conversing and in good spirits. He will be resting up over the next few days,” senior adviser Jeff Weaver said in a statement Wednesday. “We are canceling his events and appearances until further notice, and we will continue to provide appropriate updates.”
The Vermont lawmaker has kept up a relentless campaign schedule, particularly during the summer months, and often makes three or four stops a day in different regions. He was scheduled to attend a gun policy forum in Nevada on Wednesday, and then make seven appearances in California on Thursday and Friday.
At 78, Sanders is the oldest candidate in the Democratic field. But he projects vigor belying his age on the trail, and has not been faced with questions regarding his stamina and mental acuity that have plagued former Vice President Joe Biden, who is two years younger.
News of Sanders’ procedure came as Advertising Analytics, an ad tracking firm, confirmed to POLITICO that his campaign had canceled its $1.3 million ad buy in Iowa on broadcast and cable television, which was announced Monday and set to begin Thursday. Mike Casca, a spokesman for Sanders, described the cancellation as “just a postponement” but did not elaborate.
Ethan Weiss, a cardiologist at the University of California, San Francisco, said the stent procedure Sanders underwent typically is “not anything I would get too excited about,” calling it “mostly a nuisance.”
Weiss, who did not diagnose Sanders, added, “Unless I’m missing something dramatic, he should be in the hospital one or two days, and he should be fine.”
Late Wednesday afternoon, Sanders tweeted that he is “feeling good” and used the incident to plug his single-payer health care plan.
“Thanks for all the well wishes. I’m feeling good. I’m fortunate to have good health care and great doctors and nurses helping me to recover,” he wrote. “None of us know when a medical emergency might affect us. And no one should fear going bankrupt if it occurs. Medicare for All!”
Sanders on Tuesday reported a robust $25 million fundraising haul in the third quarter of the year, but he’s been eclipsed by Elizabeth Warren in recent primary polling.
“Bruce, Team Warren, and I are sending all our best wishes for a speedy recovery to @BernieSanders,” Warren tweeted Wednesday. “I hope to see my friend back on the campaign trail very soon.”
Other 2020 Democrats also offered support, including Kamala Harris, Cory Booker, Joe Biden and Beto O’Rourke.
“Anyone who knows Bernie understands what a force he is. We are confident that he will have a full and speedy recovery and look forward to seeing him on the trail soon,” Biden wrote.
Sanders, who was noticeably hoarse at the most recent televised Democratic debate, lost his voice last month and canceled some events to rest his vocal cords. But aides said he felt fine otherwise, and he quickly returned to the trail.
In March, Sanders received seven stitches after cutting his head on a glass shower door, but was given a “clean bill of health” and attended all of his previously scheduled campaign events in the subsequent days.
Zach Montellaro and Darius Tahir contributed to this report.