Bernie Sanders addressed his health at Tuesday’s Democratic debate, two weeks after suffering a heart attack that required surgery.
“I’m healthy, I’m feeling great,” Sanders said in front of the audience at Otterbein University in Westerville, Ohio.
“Senator, we are all very glad you’re feeling well,” moderator Erin Burnett followed-up. “You’re 78 years old and just had a heart attack. How do you reassure Democratic voters that you’re up to the stress of the Presidency?”
“I’ll be mounting a vigorous campaign all over this country,” Sanders responded.”That is how I can reassure the American people.”
He also took a moment to thank all his supporters: “I want to thank you so many people from all over this country including many of my colleagues up here for their love, for their prayers and their well-wishes.”
“I’m so happy to be back here with you this evening,” Sanders said emotionally as his rivals gave him a round of applause.
Sanders spoke about the incident last Sunday on ABC’s “This Week.”
“‘Heart attack’ is a scary word,” the 78-year-old told host Jonathan Karl. “What I had is a 45- to 50-minute procedure, two stents were placed in my heart, which had a blocked artery. This is a procedure, as I understand it, done many, many hundreds of thousands of times a year. It’s a fairly common procedure, and people are back on their feet pretty soon, as is the case with me.”
He said he also plans to release his full medical records when they become available.
Sanders spent the days following his surgery recovering at home. He also withdrew from last week’s Equality Town Hall.