COULD Hillary Clinton’s health put Donald Trump in the White House? Mrs Clinton has already been subject to a muttering campaign, triggered by a coughing fit during a rally in Cleveland, Ohio.

Opponents of the Democratic frontrunner sought to exploit that by implying her health was an issue. Yesterday’s dramatic exit from the 9/11 ceremony in New York is bound to make them redouble their efforts.

Hillary’s wobble couldn’t have come at a worse time – or happened at a worse moment – coming, as it did, during a memorial service with all the world’s media watching.

Donald Trump has repeatedly accused Mrs Clinton of lacking “stamina and energy”.

Before this he had nothing much to go on than the fainting episode which caused a blood clot in 2012 and her recent coughing fit. Now Mr Trump’s insinuations, that Mrs Clinton’s health is a problem, will ring alarm bells across the United States.

Americans take the health of their President very seriously. Any hint of fallibility can be electoral poison. Just think of Jimmy Carter’s collapse during a road run in Maryland in 1979, when the President had to be carried away by panicking Secret Service agents, and George W Bush fainting in 2002 after choking on a pretzel.

That incident made Bush the butt of jokes by late-night television talk-show hosts and comedians for months afterwards. Mrs Clinton can ill-afford such a thing to happen to her with just two months to go before the Presidential elections.

Hillary Clinton has to confront the rumours head-on. Her team can no long laugh off the jibes about her health. The only way to stop the chatter gaining traction is to release her medical records.

After yesterday the whole world wants to know there is nothing to fear if Hillary Clinton becomes the leader of the free world.