Former President Bill Clinton, now 79, has again found himself at the center of public and media attention, this time over renewed concerns about his health. On August 28, 2025, Clinton and his wife, Hillary, were photographed at the Hamptons airport, their departure marked not just by the usual throng of security and onlookers, but by the unmistakable presence of a Propaq MD Air Medical Bag—a portable defibrillator—being carried alongside them. The sighting, captured by multiple news outlets and photographers, has fueled speculation about the former president’s well-being and prompted questions about the extent of his ongoing health challenges.
Clinton, dressed in a blue jacket and tan hat, was accompanied by his wife, Hillary Clinton, who wore a black sweatshirt over a blue two-piece outfit. Security personnel flanked the couple as they made their way to a private plane. The Propaq MD Air Medical Bag, a device designed to deliver emergency shocks to the heart and monitor patients at high risk of cardiac arrest, was clearly visible—a detail that did not escape the notice of reporters and the public alike, according to The New York Post, Fox News, and Hindustan Times.
While neither Clinton nor his representatives have commented publicly on the device, its presence has intensified speculation about his health, especially as it comes just two months after Clinton was seen stumbling on a New York City sidewalk outside the 92NY cultural center. The stumble occurred as he was attending an event for his political thriller, "First Gentleman," co-authored with James Patterson. Observers recalled that Clinton had to grab a pole for support, with his left leg buckling in the process—a moment that, in retrospect, seems to have foreshadowed the latest concerns.
Clinton’s medical history is well documented and, frankly, hard to ignore. In 2004, just three years after leaving the White House, he underwent emergency quadruple bypass surgery at Presbyterian Hospital in Manhattan. Doctors at the time said Clinton had nearly complete blockages in his arteries and had narrowly avoided a catastrophic heart attack. "That was my fault. I don't blame my doctors or anybody else. … I was insufficiently vigilant," Clinton later told Diane Sawyer in an interview on "Good Morning America," urging others with a family history of heart disease to get tested. He admitted to missing the warning signs, a confession that resonated with many Americans who have faced similar health scares.
The health saga did not end there. In 2005, Clinton was back in the hospital for surgery to repair a collapsed lung, a complication doctors attributed to scar tissue from the earlier bypass. Five years later, in 2010, he reported chest pains and was rushed to a New York hospital, where cardiologists inserted two stents into a clogged artery. The string of cardiac events led Clinton to overhaul his lifestyle. He adopted a near-vegan diet, lost weight, and publicly credited the diet for giving him a "second chance." His embrace of plant-based eating earned him PETA's "2010 Person of the Year" award, as reported by Fox News.
But even with these changes, health issues persisted. In October 2021, Clinton was hospitalized in California for a urological infection that had spread to his bloodstream, resulting in sepsis. He was treated with IV antibiotics and eventually released, but the episode was a stark reminder of his vulnerability. The following year, he battled COVID-19, and in December 2023, he spent Christmas Eve at MedStar Georgetown University Hospital in Washington, DC, after developing a fever. He was discharged the next day, but the incident added to the growing list of health scares.
Most recently, in December 2024, Clinton was again admitted to MedStar Georgetown University Hospital, this time for the flu. The back-to-back hospitalizations and visible signs of slowing down—such as the stumble in New York—have kept the public’s focus on his health. The sighting of the portable defibrillator in the Hamptons, reported by The New York Post and confirmed by Fox News and Hindustan Times, has only amplified these concerns.
Despite the speculation, it’s important to note that Clinton has never publicly disclosed needing a portable defibrillator. His doctors and close aides have consistently declined to comment beyond acknowledging his history of cardiac and infection-related treatments. While rumors of degenerative conditions such as Parkinson’s disease have circulated in some tabloids, no reputable outlet has confirmed any such diagnosis. For now, the official line remains focused on his well-documented heart and infection issues.
The Clintons’ summer has been eventful for reasons beyond health. On August 5, 2025, both Bill and Hillary Clinton were subpoenaed by the House Oversight Committee as part of its ongoing investigation into the government’s handling of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Neither Clinton has been accused of wrongdoing, but both have been called to testify this fall—Hillary on October 9 and Bill on October 14. In his 2024 memoir, Clinton addressed his connection to Epstein, writing, "The bottom line is, even though it allowed me to visit the work of my foundation, traveling on Epstein’s plane was not worth the years of questioning afterward. I wish I had never met him." The subpoenas have kept the couple in the political spotlight, even as questions about Bill Clinton’s health swirl in the background.
Clinton remains the third-oldest surviving U.S. president, behind only Joe Biden, now 82, and George W. Bush, who is about seven weeks older than Clinton. The longevity of recent presidents has become a topic of national conversation, especially as age and health increasingly factor into public perceptions of political leaders. Jimmy Carter, who died at 100 in December, set a new benchmark for presidential longevity.
Through it all, Clinton has stayed active on the Democratic fundraising circuit. He delivered speeches during the 2024 campaign and has continued to appear at Clinton Foundation events, though those close to him note that he has visibly slowed down in recent years. His appetite—a once iconic part of his public persona, with Katz’s Delicatessen in New York famously displaying his order of two hot dogs, a pastrami sandwich, fries, a diet ginger ale, and a decaf coffee—has reportedly given way to healthier choices, reflecting his commitment to his near-vegan lifestyle.
Bill Clinton’s journey from the energetic, saxophone-playing president of the 1990s to a statesman grappling with the realities of aging and chronic illness is, in many ways, a mirror of the challenges faced by millions of Americans. Each new public appearance, each stumble or hospital stay, serves as a reminder of his mortality—and the relentless scrutiny that comes with a life lived in the public eye. As the fall approaches, and with both Clintons set to testify before Congress, the questions about Bill Clinton’s health are unlikely to fade. For now, the former president presses on, escorted by family, security, and, it seems, the ever-present reality of his own medical history.
