Questions about Sanders' health linger after heart attack

WASHINGTON (AP) — Bernie Sanders says he doesn't plan to divulge additional information about his health, months after suffering a heart attack on the campaign trail and offering a subsequent pledge to release “comprehensive” medical records.

“I think we have released a detailed medical report, and I’m comfortable on what we have done," the 78-year-old Vermont senator said during a CNN town hall on Tuesday.

Questions about Sanders' health have lingered ever since he checked into a Las Vegas hospital with chest discomfort on Oct. 1 and had two stents inserted.

His campaign didn't acknowledge that he had suffered a heart attack until his release several days later. And after pledging to divulge a “comprehensive” accounting of his well-being, the campaign waited until New Year's Eve to put out letters from three doctors attesting to his health — a move traditionally deployed to avoid scrutiny.

Now, as Sanders heads into the Nevada caucuses on Saturday with growing momentum following strong performances in earlier contests, he's facing additional pressure from his rivals to divulge more.

That was brought into sharp focus Wednesday when campaign spokeswoman Briahna Joy Gray sought to deflect questions about Sanders' health during an appearance on CNN.

First, she suggested that the line of questioning was akin to a “smear campaign." Then, she inaccurately stated that Sanders' rival, 78-year-old Mike Bloomberg, also suffered a heart attack — a claim she walked back after a swift response from the billionaire former New York mayor's presidential campaign.

“Here’s what we know about Sen. Sanders: In October 2019, he had a medical incident in Las Vegas. He didn’t tell the public for days and the full details have never been released,” Bloomberg...