Multiple persons with knowledge of the situation claim that Senate GOP Leader Mitch McConnell, who froze during a news conference on Wednesday and earlier this year suffered a concussion after falling down, has also experienced two more incidents this year.
According to three people with knowledge of the situation, the first known occasion was in Finland in February when McConnell and a US team met with the Finnish president in Helsinki.
The incident, which hasn’t been previously reported, occurred as the GOP leader walked toward his meeting with the president of Finland, Sauli NiinistΓΆ, after getting out of his automobile on a snowy day. He picked himself up and went back to the meeting.
Just a few days before, in March, McConnell crashed at the Waldorf Astoria hotel in Washington, breaking his ribs, slamming his head, and missing nearly six weeks of work before he was able to return to the Senate.
And earlier last month at Reagan National Airport in Washington, McConnell stumbled and fell as he was stepping off the plane, a source with knowledge of the situation claimed. Later on the same day, he went back to the Capitol. The collapse at the airport was covered by NBC earlier on Wednesday.
The tweet below confirms the news:
Amazing. Mitch McConnell told reporters that President Biden called him to make sure he was ok. Isnβt it nice to have a president who cares about people regardless of their party?
President Biden is a good and kind man. pic.twitter.com/V7ERCUIth8
— Harry Sisson (@harryjsisson) July 26, 2023
The McConnell campaign chose not to comment on the events. McConnell, 81, has had a small limp for a long time due to his childhood experience with polio. He climbs steps one at a time, occasionally resting his hand on a staff member to help him go through the Capitol.
When McConnell fell at his Louisville home in 2019, he shattered his shoulder. McConnell’s falls have occasionally resulted in catastrophic injuries.
However, following his accident at the Waldorf Astoria this year, his health has drawn increased attention. At his weekly press conference on Wednesday, McConnell froze when speaking to reporters, and worried GOP senators moved him to the side. Later, he continued the presser and took questions.
McConnell has reluctant to explain why he froze, although a staff member claimed he felt dizzy. When questioned by reporters about the incident, McConnell replied, “I’m fine.”
McConnell’s Hearing Problems Continue
At his weekly news conference, McConnell had an odd situation for the second time in as many months. The second incident happened in June when he had problems hearing queries from reporters, even though the senators next to him could readily hear them.
McConnell, who this year broke the record for the longest-serving Senate party leader in history, is due for re-election in 2026, but he hasn’t said whether he would do so or attempt to continue serving as the GOP’s leader in the coming Congress, which begins in 2025.
McConnell assured CNN in October that he would undoubtedly finish the remainder of the term for the seat he has held since 1985. Without a doubt, McConnell stated, “Oh, I’m going to finish the term to which I was elected by the people of Kentucky.”
But in May, following his concussion, McConnell flatly refused to answer whether he intended to remain in his current position or seek the position of leader.
βI thought this was not an interview about my future,β he said when asked at the time if he would serve out his term or run for leader again. βI thought it was an interview about the 2024 Senate elections.β
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