Mitch McConnell’s Health Issues Are Worse Than Republicans Have Let On

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) has been trying to brush off the incident where he froze up at a press conference, but McConnell has had recent issues that suggest his health is a concern.

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Punchbowl News summarized recent events:

But this wasn’t the only recent health scare for McConnell. Two weeks ago, on July 14, according to a person who witnessed the incident, McConnell had a fall at Washington Reagan National Airport. McConnell was fine afterward and returned to the Capitol because his flight was canceled. NBC first reported this Wednesday night.

CNN’s Manu Raju also reported that McConnell fell in February when he and a U.S. delegation were in Helsinki to meet with Finnish President Sauli Niinistö. McConnell “dusted himself off and continued on with the meeting,” CNN reported.

In addition, McConnell has periodically been using a wheelchair. To be clear, McConnell is a polio survivor and has long had some difficulty walking and using stairs. But these details add additional context to what happened on Wednesday.

Sen. McConnell also had a bad fall outside a restaurant that hospitalized him earlier this year. Republicans have made issues out of Sen. John Fetterman’s health and Joe Biden’s health, but unlike Biden and Fetterman, McConnell has not been transparent and upfront about his issues.

Mitch McConnell had the law changed in Kentucky so that the state’s Democratic governor can’t choose his replacement if he leaves office for any reason before his term ends.

Sen. McConnell shouldn’t be allowed to get away with brushing off questions about his health. McConnell is a leader in Congress. He occupies an important position in the United States government.

Mitch McConnell and the Republican Party must be straightforward with the American people. A critical election is coming up next year that will determine control of the presidency and Congress. Voters deserve to know if Sen. McConnell, who would become Majority Leader if Republicans won back control of the Senate, can do the job.

Jason Easley

Jason is the managing editor. He is also a White House Press Pool and a Congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. His graduate work focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements.

Awards and  Professional Memberships

Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association