On Wednesday afternoon while attempting to speak to reporters, Mitch McConnell froze up for about 30 seconds before being escorted away. No matter what you think of the Speaker of the House, it’s a disturbing video, showing someone appearing to lose control of their neurological functions, and while in public.
Mitch McConnell inexplicably freezes during press conference, is quickly escorted away
pic.twitter.com/w4jnw8NtdU— Ken Klippenstein (@kenklippenstein) July 26, 2023
And yet McConnell wasn’t whisked away to a hospital and it’s unclear if he was attended to by a doctor. Instead he returned shortly thereafter to answer reporters’ questions. His staff claimed he was simply “lightheaded.” It’s also unclear if it has any relation to the injury he suffered earlier this year.
Later that evening, McConnell returned to the halls of the Capitol to briefly — very briefly — talk with reporters, even claiming he’d landed a zinger when he received a worried call from sitting president and frequent sparring partner Joe Biden.
Mitch McConnell responds, "The president called to check on me. I told him I got sandbagged," as he ignored questions from reporters.
They both should return to Shady Acres Care Retirement Home. pic.twitter.com/7Pr7VWqTVT
— 🇺🇸 Larry 🇺🇸 (@LarryDJonesJr) July 26, 2023
“The president called to check on me. I told him I got sandbagged,” McConnell cracked, referring to Biden tripping over a sandbag last month at the Air Force Academy graduation ceremony.
Reporters repeatedly asked McConnell if he was okay and if he had any inkling about what happened. He only repeated, twice, that he’s “fine” before moving on.
After the incident, CNN’s Sanjay Gupta, who has not examined McConnell, speculated that he might have suffered a “neurological event,” maybe even a stroke.
(Via Mediaite)