During a news conference, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) experienced a health problem mid-sentence and had to be helped off the podium by his colleagues.
After the troubling occurrence this week amid his weekly comments, McConnell afterward stated that he was alright.
After saying, “After completing the NDA, this week, with excellent bipartisan cooperation, during a string of—” McConnell paused for a few seconds.
The physician-turned-senator from Wyoming, John Barrasso, leaned over to ask McConnell whether he wanted to halt the conference.
“Hey Mitch,” Barrasso asked, “Is there anything else you would like to say, or should we simply return to your office? Would you like to address the media in any other ways?”
McConnell was taken to his office after giving the impression that he approved of the idea. After some time passed, he came back and responded to various inquiries from the media.
The 81-year-old senator has a history of health issues, which includes the incident that happened when he fell and struck his head at a Waldorf Astoria function in Washington, D.C. in March. His damaged ribs and concussion required hospitalization and medical attention. McConnell experienced polio as a youngster as well.
When McConnell came back, a reporter questioned him about if the event was connected to his fall, but his only response was, “No, I’m fine.”
According to a McConnell aide, he was “feeling light-headed and then stepped away for a brief moment.”
McConnell has been a senator since 1985 and will be up for reelection in 2026; he has not stated, however, whether he intends to leave the Senate at the conclusion of his current six-year term or seek another one.
