Senate Minority leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) inexplicably froze during a press gaggle on Wednesday in Covington, Kentucky, just over a month after a similar incident at the U.S. Capitol.
When asked if he would seek reelection in 2026, McConnell briefly laughed before mumbling something inaudible and gazing into the distance with a frozen posture and unblinking eyes for an extended time, according to WLWT’s video.
BREAKING NEWS: Sen. Mitch McConnell appearing to have another scary episode in the media gaggle in Covington today. Aides had to step in to help him out and repeat questions. He was eventually lead away. We'll have the full video on @WLWT pic.twitter.com/q9ex5MHxLV
— Hannah Thomas (@HannahPThomas) August 30, 2023
Asked if he heard the question, McConnell seemed to say “Yes” before remaining silent for another 20 seconds. He then stated, “Okay,” and moved to another reporter.
A second video shared by WLWT producer Shannon Thomas on X shows McConnell meekly responding to a question about Kentucky Republican gubernatorial nominee Daniel Cameron before declining to answer a question on Trump and slowly walking from the podium.
BREAKING NEWS: Sen. Mitch McConnell appearing to have another scary episode in the media gaggle in Covington today. Aides had to step in to help him out and repeat questions. He was eventually lead away. We'll have the full video on @WLWT pic.twitter.com/q9ex5MHxLV
— Hannah Thomas (@HannahPThomas) August 30, 2023
“Leader McConnell felt momentarily lightheaded and paused during his press conference today,” a spokesperson for McConnell said in a statement to Breitbart News. An aide noted that he would consult a physician and said he feels fine.
Moments earlier, McConnell’s state seemed to be much different, as Punch Bowl News co-founder Jake Sherman pointed out.
here's McConnell from just before the incident. seems quite different/sudden https://t.co/raJE18xiAh
— Jake Sherman (@JakeSherman) August 30, 2023
The incident comes after McConnell inexplicably froze for some 20 seconds during a press conference at the Capitol late last month.
After being helped briefly to his office, he returned to the podium and said he was “fine,” the Associated Press reported.
He later joked, “The president called to check on me. I told him I got sandbagged.” Biden had used the term after he tripped over a sandbag during June’s U.S. Air Force Academy commencement.
The incident also follows a report from Politico’s Jonathan Martin, in which he wrote in the first person, “as somebody who’s covered McConnell for years, it’s jarring to see his decline.”
He noted that in non-attributable conversations on Capitol Hill over the summer, a major theme that reoccurred was “how much McConnell has aged.”
