During the GOP new conference, the minority leader abruptly froze in the middle of his opening comments to the press, appearing unable to speak.
"This week, there's been good bipartisan cooperation, and a string of..." the lawmaker says before going silent, setting off confusion.
Colleagues are seen gathering around the senator and guiding him away. Minutes later, McConnell returned to the podium and was immediately asked about his health and indicated he was fine.
Senator Minority Leader Mitch McConnell appears to have a health issue while speaking during a press conference in the U.S. Capitol. About 12 minutes later, the Minority Leader returned to the press conference and, when asked about what happened, said, "I'm fine." pic.twitter.com/EU7zDzGT0m
— CSPAN (@cspan) July 26, 2023
Asked to address what happened at the start of the press conference and whether the episode was related to his health, McConnell indicated, "No, I'm fine."
A McConnell aide told CNN the senator “felt light-headed and stepped away for a moment” before returning to the Q&A, where he continued to speak.
The incident comes nearly five months after the Kentucky Republican was hospitalized after a fall at the Waldorf Astoria in Washington. He suffered a concussion and minor rib fracture and didn’t return to the Senate until mid-April.
At a recent appearance in Lexington, McConnell seemed to have trouble hearing a question called out by a reporter. His speech has also sounded more tentative in other public appearances.
Wyoming Sen. John Barrasso, who was nearby at Wednesday's press conference, told reporters, "I said I was concerned when he fell and hit his head a number of months ago and was hospitalized. And I think he's made a remarkable recovery, he's doing a great job leading our conference and was able to answer every question the press asked him today.”
