Investigative Group

Blocked Artery Takes Bernie Off Campaign Trail

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Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders is off the campaign trail and in a Las Vegas hospital after having surgery to clear up a blocked artery.

“During a campaign event yesterday evening, Sen. Sanders experienced some chest discomfort. Following medical evaluation and testing he was found to have a blockage in one artery and two stents were successfully inserted,” Jeff Weaver, a senior adviser to Sanders, said in a statement Wednesday.

Weaver said the Vermont senator, who is 78 years old, is “conversing and in good spirits.”

Breaking: @BernieSanders was found to have a blockage in an artery and had two stents inserted yesterday. Statement from Jeff Weaver > pic.twitter.com/CuWiOSJ4k0

— Gabriel Debenedetti (@gdebenedetti) October 2, 2019

“He will be resting up over the next few days,” he said. “We are canceling his events and appearances until further notice, and we will continue to provide appropriate updates.”

Sanders received seven stitches in March after cutting his head on a shower door. His campaign said at the time that Sanders went to a walk-in clinic for treatment.

The Sanders campaign is also cancelling about $400,000 in ad buys in Iowa, CNN’s David Wright reported on Twitter Wednesday.

Sanders is currently running in the top three in most Democratic polls. He has trailed Vice President Joe Biden for most of the race and run neck-and-neck with Democratic Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren.