Sen. Bernie Sanders Promises to Return to Campaign Trail Following Heart Attack
PAUL: Fifteen minutes past the hour right now. Senator Bernie Sanders is promising that he'll return to the campaign trail. This is despite doctors confirming that he in fact have a heart attack earlier this week.</s>SANCHEZ: Yes, Sanders left the Las Vegas hospital yesterday and in a video posted online, he reassured his supporters that he isn't going anywhere.</s>SANDERS: Hello, everybody. We're in Las Vegas. I just got out of the hospital a few hours ago, and I'm feeling so much better. I just want to thank all of you for the love and warm wishes that you sent to me. See you soon on the campaign trail.</s>PAUL: CNN's Ryan Nobles has more for us. Good morning, Ryan.</s>RYAN NOBLES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Boris and Christi, Bernie Sanders left a Las Vegas hospital on Friday afternoon after spending 2.5 days there being treated for a heart attack. Sanders, with his wife by his side, waved to a crowd of people outside the Desert Springs Hospital Medical Center. Sanders, as we mentioned, spent 2.5 days there after experiencing chest pains Tuesday night during an event in Las Vegas. Two of the doctors who treated him put out a statement after he was released that described his hospital stay as uneventful and said that he had a quote, good expected progress. They confirmed that Sanders had two stents placed in an artery to combat a blockage but also said he was diagnosed with a myocardial infarction, which is the clinical term for a heart attack. Sanders will travel to his home in Burlington, Vermont, and take some time off the campaign trail but he's promised that he's going to return in time for the CNN debate, which takes place on October 15th. Now, inside the campaign I've been told there was really no real deliberation as to whether or not he would continue his run for president. Sanders who felt immediately better after the procedure to have the stents put in, felt so much better and was ready to get back on the trail. While Sanders feels better and his doctors have said that his prognosis is good, this will no doubt be an issue for him going forward. His age, he just turned 78, has long been a knock on his campaign and now with the specter of a recent heart attack added to the mix, it's going to make the argument that he's up to the job that much more difficult. Still, Sanders has a remarkable endurance and he's been healthy for most of his life. At this point, after a short break he seemed prepared to pick up right where he left off. Boris and Christi?</s>SANCHEZ: Ryan Nobles, thank you for that. Let's bring back in CNN political commentator, Errol Louis. Errol, look, Sanders is 78 years old. He's raised more money than just about any other democrat. He recently just had a heart attack, but for three days the campaign didn't really tell anyone about the severity of the situation. What do you make of that?</s>LOUIS: That's right. They very specifically, Boris, tried to get all of us in the news media to not use the words "heart attack." I think people mostly adhered to that. We waited until it was official. The distinction for viewers is that some part of the heart tissue actually dies then they call it a heart attack as opposed to anything else. The campaign was doing what you could expect them to do which is try to put the best face on this, not make him seem as if he's going to be incapable of going forward. supposed to do, put the best face on it. On the other hand there's some news they're not going to be able to cover up or spin. You know, according to the American Heart Association, there's a 20% chance after you've had a heart attack of having a second one that's over a five-year period. These are questions they're going to have to ask. I think it makes it less likely that they can avoid questions like, you know, what kind of prescription medicine has your doctor recommended? Is it statins? Is it beta blockers? What's your exercise regimen going to be? All of those are going to be relevant questions if Bernie Sanders is serious about becoming the next president.</s>PAUL: Possibly a relevant question too, to fell low candidates. We know the primary debate is coming up, the primary debate October 15. Sanders promises he's going to be there. How much of an issue do you think this is going to be that some of these younger candidates are going to pick this up?</s>LOUIS: I think they're going to tread very carefully around this question because this is a country where many, many people revere our elders, right? Where his experience and hitme on the campaign trail has really drawn a lot of people to him and Bernie Sanders cannot and should not be dismissed out of hand simply because he had a medical issue. If he had fallen down skiing or something like that, I don't think anybody would say, well, you can't be president. I think people are going to be very careful about that. On the other hand, he's going to have to be careful and not simply dismiss it as something that's completely irrelevant. Again, you look out over the horizon, if he does manage to win the election next year, there will be four years after that, and he would by far be the oldest president we've ever elected.</s>SANCHEZ: Yes, and he might spin this to his advantage. Sanders was on message shortly after being discharged from the hospital. He tweeted that he was fortunate to have good healthcare. Take a look at this tweet that he sent out. He writes that no one should fear going bankrupt when a medical emergency occurs. He finishes the tweet with Medicare For All. Probably a safe bet that he's going to use this on the stump isn't it?</s>LOUIS: Oh yes, well it's certainly right on brand. And I bet he'll be able to pull out some of those frighteningly high bills that he won't have to pay because I'm sure he has a pretty good insurance to back him up, but he can certainly underscore the problem that a lot of us know about as well as the suddenness of it. You know you're kind of going about his business. He was engaged in his profession, and right in the middle of it something unexpected happens. It should not be catastrophic financially for anybody.</s>PAUL: Errol Louis, always appreciate having you here. Thanks for sticking around.</s>LOUIS: Thanks, Christi, thanks, Boris.</s>PAUL: Sure. And get ready for the fourth democratic presidential debate live from the battleground state of Ohio. O-H-I-O to CNN, a "New York Times" democratic presidential debate, Tuesday, October 15th, 8:00 p.m. Eastern.</s>SANCHEZ: The White House's Ukraine text messages scandal pings more state department officials. Two diplomats are expected to testify next week. We'll get reaction from a former U.S. Ambassador.</s>PAUL: And as outrage from demonstrators grows louder in Hong Kong. President Trump reportedly vows to stay silent about what's going on there. We're live on the ground as the pro-democracy protest enter 18th straight weekend.