Hillary Clinton Back Injury or Brace? Photos Spark Talk

Does Hillary Clinton have a back injury or back brace? That’s what some people are wondering after Clinton was repeatedly photographed with a mysterious rectangular-shaped bulge protruding under her jacket. It hasn’t been proven, though, and the strange bulge that periodically appears has been attributed to everything from a wireless microphone to the bulkiness of her jackets.

Photos snapped on Memorial Day 2018 didn’t put to rest the speculation: The strange bulge appears to possibly be visible again under Clinton’s coat, and she appeared a little too bundled up for a day in late May.

Here’s what you need to know:

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Clinton’s Bulky Memorial Day Jacket Sparked Talk That the Bulge Was Back

Clinton posted a photo of herself on Memorial Day in a light blue jacket that raised questions again about her back. “Just returned from marching in the annual Chappaqua Memorial Day Parade with everyone from Governors to Girls Scouts. Today we honor those who have made the ultimate sacrifice for their country to keep us safe here at home,” the tweet says. However, photos from other angles showed the back bulge in a more pronounced fashion.

In fairness to Clinton, the jacket was pretty bulky in photos viewed from the front.

You can see a quick view of Hillary’s back at 17 seconds into this video.

You can see other photos here that show Clinton on Memorial Day from behind. They show a mysterious bulge.

It could just be an optical illusion because Clinton tends to wear bulky jackets. For example, check out this look she wore in 2017:

You can kind of see a bulge in the side view. However, a different angle shows no bulge at all.

Only Hillary Clinton knows for sure.

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Earlier Photos of Clinton’s Back Bulge Sparked Previous Concern

Photos circulated earlier in spring 2018 that showed Clinton with the odd bulge that some thought was a back brace. It was even more pronounced in these photos.

Some people have also argued that photos taken from the front show Clinton’s shoulders and neck looking oddly stiff.

Side views also showed an unusual bulkiness.

Others have theorized that Clinton was wearing body armor.

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Strategically Placed Scarves

Clinton has been photographed recently wearing large scarves. Although she has always had a penchant for the scarf-over-coat look, she has been wearing particularly large scarves that seem strategically positioned over her shoulders and upper back.

In the photo above, Clinton was speaking during An Evening With Hillary Rodham Clinton event at The Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre on May 10, 2018 in Melbourne, Australia. She was touring Australia and New Zealand to speak about being a women in politics. Here’s another view:

On May 23, 2018, Clinton opted for the same large scarf look.

Photos taken earlier in spring 2018, including those taken at Barbara Bush’s funeral, don’t show Clinton sporting the same scarf look or back bulkiness. In December 2017, there was no sign of the bulge at all.

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Claims Clinton’s Bulge Is a Defibrillator Were Previously Debunked by Snopes

The back brace rumors started in 2016 at a campaign event when people spotted what they thought was a bulge under Clinton’s green jacket. This sparked talk that maybe Clinton had a defibrillator on. However, Snopes debunked that rumor.

“The defibrillator features two rectangular bulges, yet Clinton is shown with only one ‘strange’ object on her shoulder. The defibrillator also requires a large object to be worn near the waist, yet none is apparent in the above-displayed photographs,” Snopes reported, adding that the object could simply be a wireless transmitter for Clinton’s microphone. The bulge didn’t appear in other photos taken the same day, the site added.

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Clinton’s Health Was a Concern on the Campaign Trail

Clinton’s health was a continuing concern on the campaign trail, at least among supporters of President Donald Trump. Clinton left a 9/11 memorial service early, though. “On Sunday, September 11 at the 9/11 Memorial event, she became overheated and dehydrated and as a result felt dizzy,” her doctor reported. “I examined her immediately upon her return home; she was re-hydrating and recovering nicely. I advised her to stay home and rest for the next several days. Mrs. Clinton has since been evaluated by me several times and continues to improve.” Her doctor said she was fit and able to serve as president.

Her doctor diagnosed her with pneumonia, and she has had other documented health scares. Right before the presidential election, the FBI released a summary of its interview with Clinton into her emails. In the interview, Clinton told the FBI “she did not recall all the briefings she received on handling sensitive information as she made the transition from her post as U.S. secretary of state, due to a concussion suffered in 2012,” Reuters said.

The report says: “Clinton stated she received no instructions or direction regarding the preservation or production of records from State during the transition out of her role as Secretary of State in early 2013. However, in December of 2012, Clinton suffered a concussion and then around the New Year had a blood clot. Based on her doctor’s advice, she could only work at State for a few hours a day and could not recall every briefing she received.”