mitch mcconnell

Mitch McConnell again appears to indurate up while speaking to journalists( videotape)

Robbin Taylor, State Director toU.S. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) will join McConnell when he speaks at the NKY Chamber of Commerce at the Madison Event Center on Wednesday, Aug. 

. 30, 2023, in Covington, Ky. McConnell appeared to compactly indurate up and was unfit to answer a question from a journalist during the event on Wednesday, weeks after he'd a analogous occasion in Washington.( WCPO via AP) AP

Washington — Senate Democratic leader Mitch McConnell appeared to compactly indurate up and was unfit to answer a question from a journalist at an event in Kentucky on Wednesday, weeks after he'd a analogous occasion in Washington.

As seen on videotape from a original news station, the 81- time-old McConnell was asked whether he'd run for reelection in 2026. The assemblyman asked the journalist to repeat the question before running off and gaping straight ahead for about 10 seconds.

An assistant standing at the front of the room with McConnell also asked him whether he heard the question and repeated it to him. When McConnell didn't answer, the assistant blazoned to the room that “ we ’re going to need a nanosecond, ” and McConnell continued to gawk ahead. He was silent for about 30 seconds in total. 

McConnell ultimately answered two fresh questions however not the bone about a 2026 crusade — and was halting and appeared to have some difficulty speaking. The woman also ended the news conference and McConnell left the room, walking sluggishly.

McConnell’s response was analogous to an circumstance in July, when he set for about 20 seconds at a news conference in the Capitol. That time, he went back to his office with helpers and also returned to answer further questions.

The rearmost incident in Covington, Kentucky, on Wednesday only adds to the questions in recent months about McConnell’s health and whether the Republican, who was first tagged to the Senate in 1984 and has been GOP leader since 2007, continuing in congressional and leadership roles. 

McConnell called South DakotaSen. John Thune, theNo. 2 Senate Republican who's seen as one of his implicit successors, after the event Wednesday. McConnell “ sounded like his usual tone and was in good spirits, ” Thune spokesperson Ryan Wrasse said.

Wednesday’s snap- up came after McConnell had given a 20- nanosecond speech before at the event. He appeared more comfortable during this segment of the show, teasing the upcoming Senate schedule and at one point joking that his job is like "groundskeeper at a cemetery."

His office said subsequently that McConnell was feeling “ shortly lightheaded ” and would see a croaker before his coming event. also, after the July occasion, helpers said McConnell was lightheaded and McConnell told journalists several hours latterly that he was “ OK . ” Neither McConnell or his helpers have given any farther details about what happed.

In March, McConnell suffered a concussion and a broken caricature after falling and hitting his head after a regale event at a hostel. He did not return to the Senate for nearly six weeks. Since also, he has appeared to walk more sluggishly and his speech has frequently sounded more halting.

Asked about McConnell at a press event shortly subsequently, President Joe Biden said he'd just heard what had happed. "Mitch's a friend, you know," Biden said. " Not a joke. He’s a good friend. I ’m going to try to get in touch with him this autumn."

McConnell had polio in his early nonage and he has long conceded some difficulty as an grown-up in climbing stairs. In addition to his fall in March, he also tripped and fell four times ago at his home in Kentucky, causing a shoulder fracture that needed surgery.

Mitch McConnell again appears to indurate up while speaking to intelligencers( video)

Robbin Taylor, State DirectortoU.S. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell( R-Ky.) will join McConnell when he speaks at the NKY Chamber of Commerce at the Madison Event Center on Wednesday,Aug.

30, 2023, in Covington, Ky. McConnell appeared to curtly indurate up and was unfit to answer a question from a intelligencer during the event on Wednesday, weeks after he would a similar occasion in Washington.( WCPO via AP) AP

Washington — Senate Popular leader Mitch McConnell appeared to curtly indurate up and was unfit to answer a question from a intelligencer at an event in Kentucky on Wednesday, weeks after he would a similar occasion in Washington.

As seen on video from a original news station, the 81- time-old McConnell was asked whether he would run for reelection in 2026. The assemblywoman asked the intelligencer to repeat the question before running out and peering straight ahead for about 10 seconds.

An adjunct standing at the front of the room with McConnell also asked him whether he heard the question and repeated it to him. When McConnell did not answer, the assistant announced to the room that “ we ’re going to need a minute, ” and McConnell continued to blink ahead. He was silent for about 30 seconds in aggregate.

McConnell eventually answered two fresh questions still not the bone about a 2026 campaign — and was halting and appeared to have some difficulty speaking. The woman also ended the news conference and McConnell left the room, walking slowly.

McConnell’s response was similar to an circumstance in July, when he set for about 20 seconds at a news conference in the Capitol. That time, he went back to his office with aides and also returned to answer farther questions.

The bottommost incident in Covington, Kentucky, on Wednesday only adds to the questions in recent months about McConnell’s health and whether the Republican, who was first tagged to the Senate in 1984 and has been GOP leader since 2007, continuing in congressional and leadership places.

McConnell called South DakotaSen. John Thune, theNo. 2 Senate Republican who is seen as one of his implicit successors, after the event Wednesday. McConnell “ sounded like his usual tone and was in good spirits, ” Thune prophet Ryan Wrasse said.

Wednesday’s snap- up came after McConnell had given a 20- minute speech before at the event. He appeared more comfortable during this member of the show, teasing the forthcoming Senate schedule and at one point joking that his job is like" groundskeeper at a cemetery."

His office said latterly that McConnell was feeling “ shortly lightheaded ” and would see a croaker before his coming event. also, after the July occasion, aides said McConnell was lightheaded and McConnell told intelligencers several hours subsequently that he was “ OK. Neither McConnell nor his aides said more about the incident. 

In March, McConnell suffered a concussion and a broken mock after falling and hitting his head after a dinner event at a hotel. He did not return to the Senate for nearly six weeks. 

 Since also, he has appeared to walk further slowly and his speech has constantly sounded more halting.

Asked about McConnell at a press event shortly latterly, President Joe Biden said he would just heard what had happened." Mitch's a friend, you know," Biden said." Not a joke. He’s a good friend. I ’m going to try to get in touch with him this afterlife."

McConnell had polio in his early nonage and he has long conceded some difficulty as an grown- up in climbing stairs. In addition to his fall in March, he also tripped and fell four times ago at his home in Kentucky, causing a shoulder fracture that demanded surgery.

Addison Mitchell McConnell III 

is an American politician and retired attorney serving in his seventh term as a United States assemblyman from Kentucky, and in his alternate stint as Senate Minority Leader, having preliminarily held that post from 2007 to 2015. During a period of Democratic control from 2015 to 2021, he was Senate Majority Leader. Overall, McConnell has been the leader of the Senate Republican Conference since 2007. 

 

 McConnell first served as an Assistant United States Attorney under President Gerald Ford from 1974 to 1975 and went on to serve as a Jefferson County Judge/Attorney in his home state of Kentucky from 1977 to 1984. McConnell was first tagged to theU.S. Senate in 1984 and is the alternate Kentuckian to serve as a party leader in the Senate. During the 1998 and 2000 election cycles, he was president of the National Republican Senatorial Committee. He was tagged Majority Whip in the 108th Congress andre-elected to the post in 2004. In November 2006 he was tagged Senate nonage leader, the post he held until Republicans took control of the Senate in 2015.

McConnell holds conservative political positions, although he was known as a pragmatist and a moderate Democratic early in his political career. He led opposition to stricter crusade finance laws, climaxing in theU.S. Supreme Court ruling Citizens Unitedv. FEC that incompletely capsized the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act( McCain- Feingold) in 2010. McConnell worked to withhold Democratic support for major presidential enterprise during the Obama administration, having made frequent use of the filibuster, and blocked numerous of President Obama's judicial appointees, including Supreme Court designee Merrick Garland.

During the Trump administration, the Senate Republican maturity under his leadership passed the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017, the Economic Growth, Regulatory Relief and Consumer Protection Act in 2018, the First Step Act, the Great American Outdoors Act, and verified a record number of civil prayers court judges during a chairman's first two times. McConnell invoked the" nuclear option" to exclude the 60- vote demand to end a filibuster for Supreme Court nominations, after his precursor Harry Reid had preliminarily excluded the filibuster for all other presidential nominations; Trump latterly won evidence battles on Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh and Amy Coney Barrett for the Supreme Court. While probative of numerous of Trump's domestic and foreign programs, McConnell was critical of Trump's attempts to capsize the 2020 presidential election, and despite voting to acquit on Trump's alternate indictment trial on reasons related to the constitutionality of impeaching a former chairman, supposed him" virtually and innocently responsible" for the January 6 United States Capitol attack.

McConnell is married to former clerk of transportation and former clerk of labor Elaine Chao. In 2015, 2019 and 2023, Time named McConnell one of the 100 most influential people in the world.