WASHINGTON – Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell gave the impression to in short freeze up and was once not able to solution a query from a reporter at an event in Kentucky on Wednesday, weeks after he had a similar episode in Washington.
According to video from a native news station, the 81-year-old McConnell was once requested whether or not he would run for reelection in 2026. The senator requested the reporter to repeat the query prior to trailing off and staring immediately forward for roughly 10 seconds.
A girl status at the entrance of the room with McConnell requested him whether or not he heard the query and he or she repeated it. When McConnell didn’t solution, she introduced to the room that “we’re going to need a minute.” McConnell sooner or later spoke back two further questions — although now not the only about a 2026 marketing campaign — and was once halting and gave the impression to have some issue talking. The lady then ended the news convention and McConnell left the room, strolling slowly.
McConnell’s response was once an identical to the time when he iced up for roughly 20 seconds at a news convention within the Capitol in overdue July. He went again to his place of work with aides after which returned to solution extra questions.
The newest incident in Covington, Kentucky on Wednesday provides to the questions in contemporary months about McConnell’s health and whether or not the Kentucky Republican, who was once first elected to the Senate in 1984 and has served as GOP leader since 2007, will stay in his management post.
His place of work stated in a while that McConnell was once feeling “momentarily lightheaded” and would see a physician before his next event. Similarly, after the July episode, aides said McConnell was lightheaded and McConnell told reporters several hours later that he was “fine.” Neither McConnell or his aides have given any further details about what happened.
In March, McConnell suffered a concussion and a broken rib after falling and hitting his head after a dinner event at a lodge. He didn’t go back to the Senate for almost six weeks. He has been using a wheelchair in the airport while commuting back and forth to Kentucky. Since then, he has appeared to walk more slowly and his speech has sounded more halting.
McConnell had polio in his early youth and he has lengthy stated some issue as an grownup in mountain climbing stairs. In addition to his fall in March, he additionally tripped and fell 4 years in the past at his house in Kentucky, inflicting a shoulder fracture that required surgical procedure.