Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., was absent from the Capitol on Thursday after he fell during a Republican luncheon two days earlier, according to multiple reports, marking the latest health episode for the 82-year-old senator.
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) is assisted by staff as he goes to the Senate Chamber ... [+]
McConnell attended work in-person on Wednesday, but stayed home Thursday as he was experiencing leg stiffness due to the fall, his office said, according to multiple reports.
McConnell fell during a Senate Republican luncheon, and was seen returning to his office with a cut on his face, according to Politico, which reported medical personnel entered his office a short time later.
McConnell did not attend the weekly GOP press conference, where incoming Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., said McConnell was “fine” and “in his office.”
Concerns were raised last year about McConnell’s health after he froze twice in a period of less than two months in front of reporters, episodes a congressional doctor attributed to lightheadedness, potentially from a concussion he incurred in March that year when he fell at a Washington hotel.
McConnell’s freezing episodes in July and September last year sparked debate about his ability to continue serving as Republican Senate leader. Multiple neurologists told The New York Times the episodes mirrored mini-strokes or seizures, though congressional doctor Brian Monahan said McConnell underwent a “comprehensive neurology assessment” and showed no signs of seizures or strokes. No senators called for McConnell to step down at the time, however, and he vowed to finish his term as minority leader through the end of this year and his Senate term through the end of 2026. McConnell has not announced he will retire from the Senate, but said in February he would step down as Republican leader for the next Congress, ending his 17-year run as the longest-serving leader in history from either party. Thune was elected majority leader last month for a term beginning in January, when Republicans will retake Senate control.
Mitch McConnell Will Retire As GOP Senate Leader Ending 17-Year Term (Forbes)
McConnell Speaks Out After Freeze-Up: Vows To Stay GOP Leader And Finish Senate Term (Forbes)
Mitch McConnell Abruptly Freezes And Leaves Press Conference—Aide Says He Felt ‘Lightheaded’ (Forbes)
CORRECTION (12/10): This article has been updated to state McConnell’s title is Senate minority leader.