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Hillary Clinton Leaves 9/11 Event Early; Remembering 9/11 Attacks and Victims. Aired 3-4p ET

Aired September 11, 2016 - 15:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

[15:00:00] WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: Hello, I'm Wolf. Fifteen Years Later, airs later tonight, 8:00 p.m. Eastern right here on CNN.

Hello, I'm Wolf Blitzer in New York. We're following the developing story of Hillary Clinton's leaving a 9/11 event early after feeling unwell. CNN has obtained new video showing the Democratic presidential candidate stumbling as she leaves the 9/11 Memorial Ceremony in New York. The campaign says she left the event early after feeling overheated.

You can see her appearing to lose her balance as aides assist her into the van. Her motorcade then took her to her daughter Chelsea Clinton's nearby apartment. And a few hours later, she left that apartment. You see the video here, waving to the news media saying she felt great.

Let's bring in CNN's M.J. Lee. She's here in New York following the story for us.

M.J., do we know what happened?

M.J. LEE, CNN NATIONAL POLITICS REPORTER: Well, Wolf, we actually haven't heard from the Clinton campaign since they originally released that statement late in the morning. Here is what that statement said, it read, "Secretary Clinton attended the September 11th Commemoration Ceremony for an hour and 30 minutes this morning to pay her respects and greet some of the families of the fallen. During the ceremony she felt overheated so departed to go to her daughter's apartment and is feeling much better."

Again, Wolf, we have not heard from the campaign since that video was released of her getting into the van and appearing to stumble a little bit. Clinton is now back at her home in Chappaqua. And where we are right now is outside of Chelsea Clinton's home. Again, this is where Hillary Clinton came to recuperate after feeling overheated, that's the word that the campaign is choosing to use. And when she came out and reporters were waiting for her, she seemed OK, she was smiling, she even paused to take a photo with a small girl that was waiting outside, and then she got in her van.

Of course, this was a day that was supposed to be not at all about politics. The campaign wanted this to be a quiet day of her paying tribute to the 9/11 victims but of course, the episode this morning is raising questions about the state of her health. As you know this has been a very politically sensitive topic. Donald Trump and his surrogates have gone after Hillary Clinton and raised questions about whether she is in good enough health.

I will also add on, Wolf, that as of right now, based on everything we know, Hillary Clinton will keep up with her original campaign schedule for tomorrow. She is set to fly to California tomorrow morning where she has fund-raisers and campaign events.

We'll keep you posted if we get any other updates from the Clinton campaign. Wolf?

BLITZER: M.J. Lee in New York. M.J., thanks very much. I'm joined now by our Chief Medical Correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta.

Sanjay, thanks very much for joining us. And let's walk through what we know about Hillary Clinton's health.

First of all, we'll play the video once again of her stumbling as she tries to get into that van. Give me your analysis, and you're a neurosurgeon.

SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Yeah, you know, Wolf, you watched it, you noticed that someone is standing to her left side, seems to be helping her but then as she's getting into the van you can see, it's very noticeable, she's having difficulty sort of navigating going off the curve. And then it seems when she's going into the van she either stumbles, sort of loses her balance even more so at that point.

But, Wolf, you and I talked about this a little bit earlier. It is very noticeable what's happening there. We don't know anything more than that. We know that sometime later she appears to be fine, but that's really the last glimpse we get of what's going to on at this particular time, Wolf.

BLITZER: If she is overheated, as a result of spending an hour and a half at that 9/11 memorial service, and it was about 80 degrees at the time here in New York City, fainting is not necessarily all that unusual, is that right?

GUPTA: Well, you know, couple things, and we don't know, first of all, that she in fact fainted. I mean, that's a term that's used quite a bit but, you know, we don't know that she had any difficulty with her consciousness or loss of consciousness or anything like that. But yes, to your point, people can have episodes where they become dehydrated, their blood pressure drops a bit as a result, and they don't feel well. They feel unbalanced. They feel like they need to lie down, they might even feel nauseated, like they might want to throw up, things lining that.

But there's certain medications, I think, Wolf, that you're alluding to, a thyroid medication for example could have this impact, sort of making people feel a little bit more heated when other people think the conditions are normal. Also, antihistamine medications, medications that are used to basically dry up your sinuses can also make you feel dry other ways, can make you feel more dehydrated.

So, in combination of these things would rise to the top of the list. Common things are common here, Wolf, and those would be the things that you'd want to really zero in on.

[15:05:03] BLITZER: We know, according to her physician, she takes a drug called Coumadin, which is a blood thinner. Could that have that kind of impact, a side effect?

GUPTA: You know, it's an interesting point. I don't think that the blood thinner itself would have that sort of side effect. But what's interesting is that back in 2012 she did fall -- she did faint, according to her medical records, strike her head and developed this blood clot around her brain, which is why she is taking the blood thinner. She seems to have been taking it even before that.

But why did she faint then exactly, why did she faint now? Again, common things common, someone feels dehydrated because of the conditions, because of not eating enough food, drinking enough liquids and then you have medications that could even make that worse. These things, all in combination, could explain it, could explain it back then and explain it now.

But I think, more than the blood thinners causing it, what, you know, is there some reason that she's had these episodes where she is, you know, stumbled, maybe even fainted.

BLITZER: Because they're talking about what's called hypothyroidism. Tell our viewers what that is.

GUPTA: Hypothyroidism, you have these hormones that are circulating in your body. They are called thyroid hormones. Sometimes people can get diagnosed with hypothyroidism, which means you don't have enough of the thyroid hormone circulating in your body. People can feel very fatigued. They can be more likely to feel cold in warm settings.

The flipside of that is that you give thyroid hormone back and you're basically trying to increase the amount of thyroid hormone. People may tend to feel -- they can feel better as a result of having their thyroid levels normalized but might have these feelings where they are more likely to feel overheated to have problems like that.

So that's one of the -- sort of known side effects of a medication like that. And again, the other medication is antihistamines. I think she said recently, Wolf, you may know better than I that she was having these allergies. She's had this coughing episode. She was going to increase her antihistamine doses. The antihistamines can work quite well, again, and you know, if someone's having nasal congestion for example. But they can also tend to make people a little bit more dehydrated as a result.

I bring this up only to say that, you know, we don't know, she didn't seem to go to a doctor, she didn't seem to get any medical testing, so we don't really know what exactly happened here. But common things are common and those things would rise to the top of the list.

BLITZER: Because those coughing incidents with the last few days, once when she was aboard her plane speaking to reporters, once at a campaign event, she went into a pretty lengthy coughing incident and her critics were saying, well, that's a sign she is not a healthy woman. But that could be a very simple explanation for that. But, is it potentially related, the coughing incidents, to what we saw today?

GUPTA: Well, it's all of this, whether it is big, whether it is small, is speculative. I just want to state that again, Wolf, in part because, again, she didn't have any medical testing. And just taking a step back, I think that if, regardless that she's Hillary Clinton, regardless that's she's a candidate for president, someone has an episode like this, getting a basic sort of check-up, getting an EKG, getting her blood pressure checked, maybe even some basic chemistry, laboratory results, I think would be, call it an abundance of caution, calling it being very thorough, whatever you want to call it, probably not a bad idea in a situation like this.

But relating the coughing episode to this, the only way I think that could potentially be related again is that she may have upped her medication, the antihistamine medication, so to try and control the symptoms of those coughing attacks which may have been due allergies. Those antihistamine medications, if you increase the dose, can make people feel dehydrated, can may actually make them dehydrated and maybe more likely to make them feel imbalanced especially on a hot day like today.

BLITZER: So, if she had, as her doctors had confirmed, she had this fainting issue at the end of 2012, she hit her head, she had a concussion, there was a blood clot that developed between her brain and her skull, if you will. She's been taking this blood thinner ever since, presumably she's taking some other medication as well. What are the long-term effects of that, if any?

GUPTA: Well, so there's two points, I think. One, you just brought up again which I think is worth repeating is that she seems to have been taking blood thinners even before this episode in 2012. She had a history of what are known as DVT or deep venous thrombosis which are blood clots in the legs, oftentimes they can be treated with blood thinners because you want to prevent them from actually breaking off and going to the lungs. So she'd been on blood thinners even before 2012.

With regard to the sort of long-term effect, that sort of injury that she had to her head and the blood collection, her doctors have talked about that. You do think about, could there be a long-term impact but she's been tested. They showed that she's had no long-term effect. This is according to her doctor, her medical note, no long-term effect from that injury. And the blood clot around the brain they say is resolved as well. So the blood clot's not sitting there anymore, it is gone, having responded to these medications. So, yes, you do worry about it, but it sounds like it got checked out.

[15:10:07] BLITZER: All right, Sanjay is going to be with us this afternoon. We're going to continue to follow this story. Sanjay, thanks very, very much with that excellent update.

Much more on this story, the political fallout, what's going on. We'll take a quick break. We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) BLITZER: Welcome back. Hillary Clinton is back at her home in Chappaqua, New York, that's outside of New York City, in Westchester, at this hour. She was seen stumbling earlier when leaving a 9/11 memorial ceremony early in New York. She left the event early telling aides she felt overheated.

Let's bring in our political panel to discuss today's developments. Larry Sabato is the Director for Politics at the University of Virginia, Josh Rogin is a CNN political analyst, a columnist for "The Washington Post."

Josh, she certainly looked fine when she left Chelsea Clinton's apartment in New York City, she was smiling, waving, said she felt great, but this does raise some questions about her health. How should she and her campaign address this?

JOSH ROGIN, CNN POLITICAL ANALYST: Well, yeah, that's exactly right. We just don't have any evidence. This is a serious health incident in of itself. We just don't have those facts. But the implication of this is clear, right? Last week in newsrooms all over the country, editors and columnists and reporters were thinking what should we do about this growing sort of conspiracy theories, mentions on the internet about her health. Now that's over. Now the story has been mainstreamed. Now this will be part of the debate. It will be part of the election and it will be part of our politics for the next 58 days or whatever.

So what the Clinton campaign has to do is they have to internalize that, and deal with it, and deal with it as upfront and as transparently as they can, right?

[15:15:09] But in 2012, she made this mistake. She had these health problems, she was coy about it, they avoided talking about the facts, took them three years to really talk about it. They can't do that again. They don't have that kind of time. So they just have to accept that that this is now a thing and they have to try to minimize the damage.

BLITZER: I assume, Larry, you agree those conspiracy theories that were out there that is now going to escalate pretty dramatically. How do you think the campaign and Hillary Clinton and her physician, for example, what do they need to do?

LARRY SABATO, UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA CENTER OF POLITICS DIRECTOR: Well the Clinton campaign needs to release any and all information about her health. You know, we really haven't gotten very much, essentially a letter from her doctor, although to be fair, Wolf, it contained more information than that silly ridiculous letter from Donald Trump's doctor declaring that he would be the healthiest person ever to occupy the Oval Office with no proof. So you have to apply the same standards to both sides.

Also, if there's no recurrence, I don't know that this is a major topic except on social media, and you will never control the conspiracy theorists. They've been spreading this for months. BLITZER: But with the incident today in the video, the video that we saw when she stumbled as she was getting into the car, as Josh says, Larry, it's going to be more mainstreamed now. People are going to be anxious to get to the bottom of it and the campaign is going to have to help us appreciate what happened.

SABATO: Well, I agree with that. They need to release, as I said, all information that they have. I think her doctor needs to issue a statement about it. You know, sometimes people actually do faint when it's really hot and I've done it myself. People who are perfectly healthy can faint in this way. I'm not saying there's nothing else there, I don't know, but I think too much is being made of it until we have more facts.

BLITZER: And, Josh, hopefully we're going to get more facts from the campaign, hopefully Hillary Clinton will answer reporters' questions, hopefully her physician will issue a statement or answer some questions as well. But, so far it's all up in the air and a lot of us are wondering what happens next.

She's scheduled to go on this trip to California, fundraising campaign trips on to the west coast. As of now, she's still going to go, although you heard Dr. Sanjay Gupta say maybe out of an abundance of caution she should get an EKG, get a full test just to make sure there is nothing there.

ROGIN: Right. Well, the early indications are not that the campaign is going to be open and transparent with the press. The way that they've handled this today has been flawed and a lot of people, especially even on CNN, have noted that the access and the information has not been forthcoming. I'm sure they're trying to figure it out now.

You know, I think everyone would agree that Hillary Clinton should do whatever she needs to do to make sure that she's healthy and can continue in this very rigorous and grueling sort of schedule. And if that means taking a day off or whatever, then she go ahead and do that, that's not really the issue. The issue is, is she going to be honest and open and transparent with the American people about what she's doing, what's really going on, and how much they know and don't know.

BLITZER: What do you anticipate, Larry, the reaction from the Donald Trump campaign will be? So far, there hasn't been any real reaction probably because this is the memorial of 9/11, 15th anniversary of 9/11 on this day, maybe they're waiting.

SABATO: Wolf, does anyone doubt that Donald Trump will refer to this in a derogatory way sooner or later in a rally or some other campaign gathering? Of course he will. And that's, I'm sure, to be expected and Clinton campaign knows to expect it. And that's why they should get out as much information as they can, as quickly as they can, and try to put it to rest. It will be put to rest, as long as there isn't a recurrence.

BLITZER: And they should put, I assume, you want not only the Hillary Clinton campaign to release all of her medical information but you want the Donald Trump campaign to release his medical information as well. He's 70 years old, she's 69 years old, the American people are electing the president of the United States, they deserve to know the health of these two candidates.

SABATO: That's absolutely correct. And unfortunately, we've had some cases in American history where the public has not received the information that it deserved to hear before Election Day about the president's health or presidential candidate's health. So we don't want a recurrence of that. But, I'm glad you mentioned Donald Trump. This has to be fair. Neither campaign has released full health records. They both need to do so.

BLITZER: But Hillary's campaign, Hillary Clinton's campaign, has released more information about her health than Donald Trump's campaign has released about his health. Josh, you agree, right?

ROGIN: Yes, they have released more. They have been more transparent than Donald Trump but they also now have a viral video of her stumbling as she tried to get into the car. So, these two things are both true and these two things are both not going away, OK. So it's more of an issue for her. That's not fair, that's not right, that's politics, OK, that's presidential elections, and what I'm saying the Clinton campaign has to get out in front of.

[15:20:08] How this plays out over the next 58 days is not yet determined. It could go either way depending on how the Clinton team and how healthy she really is. One of those things they have control over, one of those things they don't.

BLITZER: Josh Rogin and Larry Sabato, guys, thanks very much. We're going to continue our coverage right after a quick break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BILTZER: An update on Hillary Clinton's health. She's back at her room in Chappaqua, New York, outside of New York City this hour after she was seen stumbling while leaving the 9/11 Memorial Ceremony today in New York.

The campaign says she left the event early after feeling overheated. As you can see she appears to lose her balance as aides assist her into the van. Her motorcade then took her to her daughter Chelsea Clinton's nearby apartment and a few hours later, she actually left. She was smiling. She waved to the news media saying she felt great.

We're going to continue to follow the story throughout the hour of Dr. Sanjay Gupta will be joining us as well.

But first, a nationwide pause, remembering where we were on this day 15 years ago and the unwavering feeling of loss that still remains so powerful for so many families.

This morning, at the Twin Towers Memorial Site, victim's families read the names of the 2,753 people who died in the attacks on the World Trade Center. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Janice Lee Blainy.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Craig Michael Blass.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Vita Blau.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Richard Middleton Wood, Jr.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[15:25:20] BLITZER: The 40 victims of Flight 93 were honored with the moment of silence in the Shanksville, Pennsylvania field, where that plane went down.

And over at the Pentagon, President Obama addressed survivors and victim's families after a wreath laying ceremony. They called on the country to honor their strength and resilience going forward.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BARACK OBAMA, (D), UNITED STATES PRESIDENT: In the end, the most enduring memorial, so those we lost is ensuring the America that we continue to be. That we stay true to ourselves, that we stay true to what's best in us. That we do not let others divide us.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: Let's bring in CNN's Rachel Crane is New York for us right near the World Trade Center memorial.

Rachel, a lot of reflecting going on, on this day 15 years ago, but many people discussing how 9/11 has changed and will continue to change national security. What are you hearing today?

RACHEL CRANE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Wolf, it's hard to believe that it's been 15 years since 9/11. Of course, today, a day of remembrance and mourning. But behind me stands the ultimate symbol of our country's resilience. A new tower stands occupied.

Now, of course for many people in America this evokes feeling of fear -- you know wondering if there is another major terrorist attack on the horizon. We had a chance to speak with the police commissioner who said there is no immediate threat here in New York City. We also had a chance to speak to the Secretary of Homeland Security, Jeh Johnson, who said that the U.S. has never been better prepared for 9/11 terrorist attack. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JEH JOHNSON, SECRETARY OF HOMELAND SECURITY: We're on a constant state of alert against not only the terrorist directed attack of the 9/11 type, but also terrorist inspired attacks. The so-called lone wolf, the home grown violent extremists of the type we've seen in San Bernardino and Orlando. We're in a relatively new environment now where we've got to be concerned about the traditional threat as well as this new threat where Al-Qaeda, ISIL can literally reach into our homeland through the internet, through social media to recruit and inspire people here.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CRANE: Now, Jeh Johnson went on to say that those lone wolf type of terrorist attacks, that those are the things that keep him up at night trying to figure out how to prevent them.

Now, the memorial here at Ground Zero is not the only one being held today to honor the victims of their families as you pointed out, one held earlier today at the Pentagon that the President went to, many also being held here in New York City. And of course this evening the tribute in lights will be visible from a 16-mile radius from New York City and those lights will dim at dawn.

BLITZER: Very powerful, important day indeed. Rachel Crane, thank you very much. We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[15:31:37] BLITZER: The nation pausing today to pay its respects to those lives lost 15 years ago in the September 11th terror attacks.

President Obama laying a wreath at the Pentagon Memorial before addressing survivors, families and friends of the fallen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

OBAMA: And yet, you -- the survivors and families of 9/11, your steadfast love and faithfulness has been an inspiration to me and to our entire country. Even as you've mourned, you've summoned the strength to carry on. In the names of those you've lost, you've started scholarships and volunteered in your communities, and done your best to be a good neighbor and a good friend and a good citizen. And in your grief and grace, you have reminded us that, together, there's nothing we Americans cannot overcome.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: CNN national correspondent Scott McLean is joining us on today's ceremonies, very powerful Scott. Update our viewers on what else unfolded.

SCOTT MCLEAN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, wolf. So today the president gave his final speech as president on the anniversary of 9/11, an occasion he is of course marked every single year. His speech today was a tribute to the victims and survivors and he mentioned some of them by name, including 24-year-old Welles Crowther, better known as the "man in the Red Bandana" who helped many people to safety before being killed when one of the towers came down.

It was also a message to the rest of the country on how he thinks it should continue to move forward. He talked about the national security apparatus and how it helped to prevent large scale attacks leaving terrorists really resort to smaller scale but yet still deadly attacks.

He also talked about the ideology that driving the terrorists and how he believes that ideology is trying to bait Americans into turning on one another. He really seemed to call on Americans to stick together, arguing that diversity is a strength. Listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

OBAMA: In the end, the most enduring memorial to those we lost is ensuring the America that we continue to be. That we stay true to ourselves, that we stay true to what's best in us, that we do not let others divide us.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MCLEAN: And Wolf, the president also mentioning the motto "out of many, we are one" to really drive home that national unity message and it's worth pointing out that that line he also used on the ten-year anniversary of September 11th. And the president doesn't have any other public events scheduled for today but he did put out a preordered video that aired at NFL games prior to NFL games this afternoon. He recorded a second video along with President Bush that will air before tonight's NFL games. Wolf?

BLITZER: Scott McLean reporting for us on this important day, Scott, thank you very much. And the CNN looks back on 9/11, we're hearing from people whose jobs put them in the thick of the tragedy on that day.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

[15:35:05] UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Around 9:30 I believe the run came in. I run for a gas leak or odor of gas in the street.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (Inaudible) order of gas.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You know, I dot think of it. You get on the rig, you go, all right, it's an ordor of gas.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Jules was riding with the battalion chief Joseph Pfeifer, videotaping.

JULES NAUDET, DIRECTOR: It's just another call -- I'm riding with the Battalion Chief.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We checked the area with meters. And it was kind of routine.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It was 8:46 in the morning. That's when this stopped even resembling a normal day.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BLITZER: The former Chief of Staff Laura Bush to Anita McBride also remembers 9/11 in a "Wall Street Journal" op-ed that she described what it was like driving into the White House that day. Let me quote from her article, "Like all Americans that day, little did I know that none of us was safe. Our lives changed forever starting at 8:46 a.m."

Anita McBride is joining us. Now, Anita, thanks very much for joining us on this important day. Walk us through that day 15 years ago. What sticks out in your memory?

ANITA MCBRIDE, FORMER CHIEF OF STAFF TO FIRST LADY LAURA BUSH: Well, what sticks out to what a beautiful day it was in Washington, is how it started, very uncharacteristic, as you know, for a summer day, to be so cool and crisp in the sky, so blue. It was perfect.

Going into the White House that day, you know, I expected it would be a fairly routine. Actually less hectic day because the president was out of town and started my day having breakfast with a colleague in the White House mess. And then within, you know, minutes we're hearing that a plane went into the World Trade Center. We didn't think it was anything catastrophic, although we though it was an errant plane that made a mistake and then minutes later, of course hearing about the second, and being told by the Secret Service to get everybody out.

BLITZER: Yup, all of us remember those moments, and Anita, you also said in your article that the evacuation at the White House had an eerie orderliness. Tell us what that was like feeling when you all had to start walking to get out of your office, what was it like that eerie orderliness?

MCBRIDE: Well I was in the west wing that morning and, you know, we've been instructed by the Secret Service, which you listen to them when they tell you what to do, to get everybody out of their offices, and bring them to the White House mess, that's what we were first told to do, and then within minutes, we were told just to get everybody out, an you know, people listened. They paid attention. They didn't go back to their offices to grab things. They just walked out. The gates were thrown open on West Executive Avenue on both sides and people filed out.

It also that happened over on the east side as well as people were evacuated there, and found, you know, ourselves running, but yet just waiting. We got into, I was with a group that was at Lafayette Park on the north side, and within minutes really realized, you know, this was no place for us to be standing. And then made a decision to call my husband, whose office was two blocks away to say I'm bringing some people over. Can you keep your office open, and of course he did, and we ended up then with 72 people working out of that office that day.

BLITIZER: Anita, what about Laura Bush? You were the chief of staff to the first lady, what do you remember about her that day, that morning?

MCBRIDE: Well now, I was her chief of staff in the second term so I was not with her on 9/11. I had been in management and administration working for President Bush in the first term. So Mrs. Bush of course was up on Capitol Hill about to get ready to brief the House Education and Workforce Committee on No Child Left Behind, and on education reform that she was actively involved in. But she never made it in to that hearing room to do that hearing because of course she was met at the Capitol by Senator Kennedy and Senator Gregg and was ushered to Senator Kennedy's office. She knew on the way to the Capitol that the first plane had hit the first tower by her agent, and by the time she arrived at the Capitol the second had hit.

BLITIZER: You talked about an event you went to days after the attack, you said when you were all leaving the event and I'm quoting now "Overhead in the dark sky we heard the sound of a plane prompting the president to wonder allowed if it belonged there." You said this was a question, you still wonder about and think about even today. Tell us about that.

[15:40:05] MCBRIDE: Well, you know, there was on several days after 9/11 have happened of course on the National Day of mourning was on that Friday, the 14th. The Bush have had long, you know, prior had scheduled an event, a small dinner anniversary party for very close friends of theirs and we were friends of theirs as well and had been invited to that. We fully expected that it wouldn't happen but I think, you know, Mrs. Bush who always knows the right thing, try to create a sense of normalcy for people and for their family and the dinner went ahead.

And as we were leaving this lovely opportunity to sort of be together and pray together, and have dinner together, where we left the building, the president escorted us and Tim and I, my husband and I were there and walking to our car, President Bush taking his dog out, and spot, you know, was still alive then, and the dog. And, you know, we heard a plane overhead.

You know, and by that fourth or fifth day, September 16th when this dinner happened, of course, there weren't planes in the sky yet, but so there was this, you know, question, because it was right over the White House and as you know, Wolf, that air space is protected so it did prompt the question is that supposed to be here. And still do think sometimes living in Washington and the planes, you know, where I live the planes come very close to Reagan National Airport. And I always to this day I still look up and I think about that day. It's very hard not to.

BLITZER: Yeah. I live in Washington, too, and totally agree.

MCBRIDE: Yeah, exactly.

BLITZER: I think a lot of people who lived through that day will always have that feeling with them. Anita, thank you so much for joining us.

MCBRIDE: Sure, thank you.

BLITZER: Anita McBride worked for the first lady of the United States, Laura Bush. And as we leave you with more pictures from New York City, the city honoring those who lost their lives on September 11th. We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[15:45:51] BLITZER: There are some dates that they are the branch of history. Today we mark the 15th anniversary of 9/11. Every year we set this day aside and remember each and every victim lost in the terror attacks. Only one other country joins the U.S. in listing every victim on a 9/11 memorial, that nation is Israel. CNN's Oren Liebermann reports from Jerusalem.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

OREN LIEBERMANN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: The commemoration ceremony focused on what's called the 9/11 Living Memorial right here behind me. A number of different groups and representatives placed these wreaths here as a way of commemorating those who died on 9/11. For example, this is from the embassy of the United States, the one next to it is the Jerusalem Municipality. There are number of others here.

The ceremony -- this memorial itself focuses on what's right behind the wreaths, right behind here this is a part of the twin towers that came falling down on 9/11 that was given to Israel by the City of New York. And that's why it's called a Living Memorial, a way of remembering and showing a living bond between the United States and Israel, between New York and Jerusalem.

Right at the start of the ceremony was a moment of silence. We'll take our own pause for a quick second as we look into that moment to see that commemoration. Here it is.

Among the people here to commemorate the 15th anniversary of 9/11 was a group of 50 American police officers, firefighters and sheriffs, some of whom were first responders on 9/11, working in New York City. I asked the head of the delegation what's it like to be outside the United States on such an important anniversary. Here's what he had to say.

CRAIG FLOYD, NATIONAL LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS MEMORIAL FUND: We could not be prouder to stand with our police colleagues here in Israel to commemorate that anniversary and to know that they share our grief, and they remember those men and women who died tragically on that terrible day, including 72 law enforcement officers who died trying to save and help those innocent people that were in need.

LIEBERMANN: Behind the memorial of these 14 metal tablets with the names of all of the victims from 9/11. Nearly 3,000 names laid right to next to each other. There were a number of people after the ceremony here who laid flowers on that as their own way of commemorating as well as number of others who came afterwards to pause quietly and reflect in their own quiet way. Oren Liebermann, CNN, Jerusalem.

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BLITZER: Oren, thank you very much, let's take a quick break. We'll be right back.

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[15:51:49] BLITZER: As we remember and reflect on the events of 9/11, we also recall how the nation reacted immediately of after the devastation, and how we captured the pain, confusion and resiliency in cartoons. It's the topic of this week's cartooning by Jake Tapper.

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JAKE TAPPER, CHIEF WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT: The nation's political cartoonist dealt with 9/11 in very different ways, although all of them tried to rise to the moment. From feeling the immediate pain to reflecting on the enormity of the tragedy. To looking at the loss more individually. The facial expression of Uncle Sam here capturing what so many of us felt that day hurt and angry. Others felt fury and defiance.

While still others wanted to remind us of what we stand for and what we shouldn't, but it was clearly a new day. No longer did we think oceans protected us. The threat was here. The heroes of the day inspired other cartoonists, the firemen, in particular. The idea that these heroes were headed for heaven, an attempt at reassurance.

At a time when many of us didn't have much reassurance to offer anymore, we couldn't offer it to our children. Or they couldn't offer it to us.

A few days after the attack, cartoonist started to sharpen their pens and looked at issues like intelligence failures. But before the cartoonists send the rest of us were able to get there. There was just the pain.

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[15:57:23] BLITZER: Good afternoon, I'm Wolf Blitzer in New York. We're following the developing story of Hillary Clinton's leaving a 9/11 event early after feeling unwell. CNN has obtained new video showing the democratic presidential candidate stumble after she leaves the 9/11 ceremony memorial today in New York City. The campaign says she left early after feeling overheated. You can see Clinton appearing to lose her balance as aide assist her into the van. The motorcade then took her to her daughter, Chelsea Clinton's nearby apartment. Few hours later she left that apartment waving to the news media, saying she felt great. Let's bring in CNN's M.J. Lee was in New York City for us. M.J, so, what do we know about what happened here?

LEE: Well, Wolf, we have not heard from Hillary Clinton's campaign in several hours now. CNN has repeatedly asked the campaign for an update on her status and also asked the campaign to respond to that video that we just saw of Clinton getting into that van and stumbling outside the World Trade Center.

The only statement that the Clinton campaign released was late in the morning. And just to remind other viewers, here is what the statement said "Secretary Clinton attended the September 11th Commemoration Ceremony for an hour and 30 minutes this morning to pay her respects and greet some of the families of the fallen. During the ceremony she felt overheated so she departed to go to her daughter's apartment and is feeling much better." Wolf, where we are right now is outside Chelsea Clinton's apartment. This is where Hillary Clinton came to recuperate after the campaign that she was feeling overheated. When she came out there was a group of reporters waiting for her. And she seemed to be in good spirits. She was smiling. She even paused to take a photo of the little girl. And Chelsea Clinton's spokesperson said that Hillary Clinton spent some time playing with her grandchildren upstairs in Chelsea Clinton's apartment.

Now the big question of course is whether or not the episode of this morning ends up affecting Hillary Clinton's travel plans for this week. She expected to travel to the west coast tomorrow, flying to California for fundraising and campaign events. We'll see if the campaign updates us and whether those travel plans end up being changed. Certainly we can't trust enough how a bad timing this is in terms of the political optic for Hillary Clinton and her campaign. They have wrestled with many questions about her health and her state of health, Trump and his surrogates have raise a lot of questions about whether she is actually in good health to actually assume the office of the White House. Wolf?

BLITZER: M.J. Lee reporting for us. Thank you very much. I want to bring in our chief medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta who is with us as well. Sanjay, so, she suppose to go to California tomorrow. We obviously we have got -- you are not examiner. You're a neurosurgeon you could examine her. You got a better sense.

But based on what we've seen based on her medical history --