Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell, 81, briefly left his own press conference Wednesday after stopping his remarks mid-sentence and staring off into space for several seconds.
At the press conference, McConnell suffered his latest health scare after a string of others earlier this year… and the media has seized on McConnell’s spiraling health concerns.
In February, McConnell fell in Finland while exiting a car in the snow, around the time of his meeting with the Finnish president. He fell at the Waldorf Astoria hotel in Washington, D.C., the next month, and suffered a concussion and a broken rib. He also fell earlier this month while deplaning at an airport near the capital.
CNN recently aired a compilation of McConnell’s mishaps, and even expressed concerns over his inability to process a reporter’s question filled with acronyms.
“He did not answer repeated questions about whether he saw a physician. His office did not answer those questions,” CNN’s Lauren Fox said on air. “So, we just are going to continue pressing to get more information on how the senator is doing, what his health status is, and — of course — that larger, looming question… Does this affect his ability to do the job?”
Some GOP operatives criticized CNN for devoting too much attention to McConnell’s fumbles and too little to those of President Joe Biden.
“CNN is doing a whole list on Mitch McConnell’s recent health scares,” one GOP committeewoman observed. “I hate Mitch McConnell but why don’t they do a running list on Biden’s gaffes? Bunch of frauds.”
After Wednesday’s press conference, McConnell himself made reference to our famously clumsy president.
“The president called to check up on me, and I told him I got sandbagged,” McConnell joked, referencing a quote from Biden in June after he tripped over a sandbag and fell while onstage at the U.S. Air Force Academy graduation.
Take a look —
**NEW** CNN has new reporting this morning on Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell after his sudden stop mid-speech yesterday: he's fallen more times this year than we previously knew about.@FoxReports has the story: pic.twitter.com/xS2BnxPIDC
— CNN This Morning with Kasie Hunt (@CNNThisMorning) July 27, 2023
SENATE MINORITY LEADER MCCONNELL: “The President called to check up on me and I told him I got sandbagged”
McConnell doesn’t answer questions about what happened, just says “I’m fine” pic.twitter.com/cm8tvoiLIH
— Nathaniel Reed (@ReedReports) July 26, 2023
In the latest issue on Wednesday, McConnell approached a podium for his weekly press conference and began speaking about the annual defense bill on the floor, which he said was proceeding with “good bipartisan cooperation.” But he then appeared to lose his train of thought, trailing off with a drawn-out “uh.”
The Kentucky senator then appeared to freeze up and stared vacantly for around 20 seconds before his colleagues in Republican leadership, who were standing behind him and could not see his face, grabbed his elbows and asked if he wanted to go back to his office.
He did not answer, but slowly walked back to his office with an aide and Wyoming Sen. John Barrasso, a former orthopedic surgeon who is the No. 3 Republican in the Senate. After sitting down in his office for several minutes, McConnell later returned to the press conference and answered questions from the press.
McConnell’s speech has sounded more halting in recent weeks, prompting questions among some of his colleagues about his health. Asked whether his halting speech was related to his concussion, McConnell said, “No, I’m fine.”
Asked whether he is still able to do his job, he said, “Yeah.”
Take a look —
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell appeared unable to speak halfway through a press conference. He was led away from the press conference and towards his office by fellow GOP Sen. John Barrasso. A short time later, McConnell returned and told CNN's Manu Raju he was "fine." pic.twitter.com/6hdE9nKKoP
— CNN (@CNN) July 26, 2023
CNN’s @mkraju to Mitch McConnell when he came back to the podium: “Can you address what happened? … Was it related to your injury from earlier this year when you suffered a concussion?”
McConnell: “No, I’m fine.”
Raju: “You’re fully able to do your job?”
McConnell: “Yeah.” pic.twitter.com/twJ128HbHR
— The Recount (@therecount) July 26, 2023
McConnell had polio in his early childhood and he has long acknowledged some difficulty as an adult in climbing stairs.
He tripped and fell four years ago at his home in Kentucky, causing a shoulder fracture that required surgery.
After the press conference, Barrasso told reporters he “wanted to make sure everything was fine” and walked McConnell down the hall to his office.
Barrasso said he has been concerned since McConnell was injured earlier this year, “and I continue to be concerned.”
But asked about his particular concerns, Barrasso said: “I said I was concerned when he fell and hit his head a number of months ago and was hospitalized. And I think he’s made a remarkable recovery, he’s doing a great job leading our conference and was able to answer every question the press asked him today.”
First elected to the Senate in 1984, McConnell became the longest-serving Senate party leader in history in January. He was easily reelected to his leadership post that same month, despite a challenge from Florida Sen. Rick Scott.
The Republican leader is one of several senators who have been absent due to health issues this year. Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein of California, 90, was out of the Senate for more than two months as she recovered from a bout of shingles. And Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., 53, took leave for several weeks to get treatment for post-stroke depression.
The Horn editorial team and the Associated Press contributed to this article.