Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell appeared to experience a health episode during a press conference on Capitol Hill Wednesday, freezing mid-sentence for about 20 seconds at the podium before he was briefly ushered away and then returned saying he was “fine.”
Flag: McConnell just stopped abruptly during his opening statement during the gop leadership presser and appeared to be unable to restart talking. He then stepped away and walked away with Barrasso: pic.twitter.com/f1kFUjggzm
— Frank Thorp V (@frankthorp) July 26, 2023
It’s not clear what might have happened. McConnell’s office has said that he was feeling light-headed but has not elaborated on his condition. President Joe Biden reportedly called McConnell to check up on him Wednesday, and the senator attended a reception for Major League Baseball that evening.
This incident is the latest in a series of health issues that have raised concerns about the 81-year-old Senate leader’s health. He suffered from a concussion and a fractured rib from a fall at a DC hotel earlier this year, for which he was hospitalized for five days and stayed at a rehabilitation facility. He did not appear on the Senate floor for six weeks following the fall. He also tripped and fell while disembarking from a plane earlier this month. Though he did not suffer any serious injuries as a result, he now uses a wheelchair at airports.
McConnell is not the only senator facing concerns related to their health and age. Ninety-year-old California Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D) has recently faced calls to resign from congressional Democrats amid questions about her cognitive abilities.
While McConnell has not articulated any intention of stepping down anytime soon, laughing off a question about a successor Wednesday, his retirement would dramatically shake up the dynamics in the Senate.
What might have happened to McConnell?
Without an official report of a diagnosis (which McConnell has not released), it’s impossible to…
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