LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: One of the top Republicans in the U.S. Senate, Mitch McConnell froze up while speaking to reporters on July 26 for around 21 seconds. He then left the room and came back 12 minutes later to declare he was "fine." While speaking at a news conference, McConnell said he told President Joe Biden that he too had been "sandbagged," making light of his health issue. Later, associates claimed McConnell had felt "light-headed" before speaking.
The Kentucky lawmaker spoke about bipartisan cooperation on a significant defense budget package at the start of a regularly scheduled press conference on Wednesday, July 26, only to freeze up for 21 seconds and starring straight ahead. McConnell, the longest-serving Senate party leader in history eventually turned back and walked away with the help of Senator John Barrasso, a physician. About 12 minutes later, the minority leader McConnell returned to the news conference, stating, "I'm fine," and responding to queries from reporters on various subjects, as reported by Reuters.
How old is Mitch McConnell?
U.S. Senate Republican Mitch McConnell is an 81-year-old retired lawyer from Kentucky, who has been serving as the senior United States senator since 1985. McConnell has been the minority leader of the Senate's Republican Party since 2021. He previously held the position from 2007 to 2015 and was the majority leader from 2015 to 2021.
McConnell, whose six-year term in office runs through 2026, was removed from the Senate earlier this year after he fell at a dinner in Washington on March 8 and was taken to the hospital for concussion treatment. He was later transferred to a rehabilitation center and sustained a slight rib fracture as well. He made a comeback to the Senate in April.
President Joe Biden is campaigning for reelection at the age of 80, while the average age of senators is above 64, making up a large portion of Washington's elite. 90-year-old Dianne Feinstein, a Democratic U.S. Senator, missed many months of work this year due to complications from shingles, including encephalitis and Ramsay Hunt syndrome, which can result in facial paralysis.
'PLEASE elect younger officials!'
A November Reuters/Ipsos poll found that 61% of Americans were either extremely or fairly concerned that Congress members are too old to adequately represent the country's interests. Internet users also expressed their concerns through social media, particularly Twitter, to voice their opinion on electing younger officials. One Twitter user commented on McConnell's fall video, "This man forgot who he was, where he was, what he was doing, and why he was doing it PLEASE elect younger officials!" A second social media user typed, "I think its time we nominate young people ( 30s, mid 30s, 40s ) into office because this is embarrassing." A third netizen explained, "Even 50s and early 60s will suffice. there’s just no reason to have an 81 year old determining the future of our country, cognitive function or not. any other job would expect them to hang it up." Someone else questioned, "Why do americans have 80+ years old politicians leading their country??!?" Another one exclaimed, "This is why we need to stop electing the elderly into office." One more Twitter user wrote, "This is what happens when you don’t put a age restriction the residents of Shady Pines for working in congress…"
Mitch McConnell's medical history exposes prior concerns
Given the growing interest in the issues raised by the advancing ages of many members of the upper chamber of Congress, McConnell's freezing during the press conference is likely to be closely examined. Due to his early experience with polio, he still struggles to walk without a limp. When Mr McConnell was two years old in 1944, polio crippled his upper left leg. He received treatment at the Warm Springs Institute in Georgia, which Democratic World War II President Franklin Delano Roosevelt founded after suffering from the same disease himself.
In February 2003, Mr. McConnell underwent triple heart bypass surgery due to blocked arteries. The treatment was carried out at the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland, which is close to Washington, DC.
Following a fall that resulted in a concussion, Mr. McConnell, 81, rejoined the Senate in March of this year. He tripped and banged his head at the Waldorf Astoria, suffering a concussion and a broken rib. He was kept in the hospital for a week to receive treatment. In August 2019, Mr. McConnell collapsed at home in Louisville, Kentucky, breaking his shoulder.
