What’s Happening:
Everyone has been talking about Joe Biden’s blunders and potential mental health issues. But what happens when a key leader of the Republican party has a public display of concern for his health?
He bounces right back and cracks a joke straight at Biden. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) was in the middle of a live press conference on Wednesday when he froze and appeared unable to speak. This was a scary moment for anyone watching or who later saw the video.
McConnell quickly recovered at the press conference and later had some fun with reporters at the president’s expense. Biden called after the incident to check on McConnell.
From Fox News:
“The president called to check on me. I told him I got sandbagged,” McConnell said, making reference to Biden’s tumble last month during the commencement ceremony at the U.S. Air Force Academy. The White House said at the time the president tripped and fell over a sandbag and that he was not injured.
McConnell was quick to deflect any concern about his mental and physical health, repeatedly telling reporters, “I’m fine.” “Gotta watch those sandbags,” he added as he left for the Senate floor, according to Fox News.
McConnell is being a bit silly about what happened, but people are right to be concerned. It wasn’t like he bungled a few words while reading a teleprompter. The man suffered some sort of lapse mentally and physically.
From Fox News:
“Good afternoon, everyone. We’re on a path to finishing the NDAA (National Defense Authorization Act) this week, there’s been good bipartisan cooperation and a string of …” McConnell said, before trailing off and staring blankly for nearly a minute before colleagues intervened.
Staring blankly for almost a minute is not something to ignore. That’s a visible loss of ability. Still, McConnell insisted he was fine after stepping away from the podium for about 10 minutes and then returning to close out some remarks.
McConnell’s episode isn’t the first health issue for him this year.
From Fox News:
Earlier this year, McConnell, 81, suffered a concussion and fractured rib from a fall in a Washington hotel and spent time in recovery in an inpatient rehabilitation facility before returning to the Senate.
Fellow Republicans offered support and encouragement to McConnell after the incident. Don’t expect any response to calls to remove McConnell from the Senate as he maintains strong support throughout the GOP. Republicans believe he still has what it takes to lead the party in Congress.
From Fox News:
“He’s doing a great job leading our conference, and he was able to answer every question that the press asked him today,” said Sen. John Barrasso (R-WY). “And you may note he answered more questions than he normally does.”
Answering more questions doesn’t indicate McConnell is healthy, or unhealthy. What matters is the staring into space that was visible to anyone watching. If age is a factor for the opposition, Republicans need to start working on bringing in less-aged members to set the stage for leadership.
Key Takeaways:
- McConnell recovers quickly from episode and takes crack at Biden.
- Senator answers call from president with joke about “sandbags.”
- Republicans send well wishes and stand behind McConnell’s leadership.
Source: Fox News
