On Wednesday, McConnell, 81, quit again shortly after being asked at an event in Kentucky if he was running for re-election in 2026 — this time for half a minute. The statement from his office? He was “lightheaded for a moment and paused during his press conference today.” The video – which is difficult to watch – does not suggest a voluntary break on his part.
If the health of the Kentucky Republican used to be a concern, it has now become a serious concern.
The latest concerns about the Republican leader’s health have kicked up the rumor mill in Congress, raising questions about both his health and his political future. And yet McConnell’s operation says very little. In that absence, both reporters and McConnell’s own supporters are left to speculate about what is happening.
How common are these attacks? Is it seizures? Miniature pranks? Are they the by-product of his concussion? Has he seen a neurologist?
Wednesday’s incident was so bad that McConnell’s office said in a statement that he would see a doctor. But it seems unlikely they could go on for much longer without revealing more about his condition. As National Review’s Philip Klein wrote on Wednesday, “It’s one thing for something to happen once, but when it happens twice, and in a progressively worse way, it becomes harder to sweep under the rug.”
Publicly, senators have spoken little—and when they have spoken, they have defended McConnell and wished him well. For a long time, members of the Senate operated under an understanding that was only for the grace of God, and were afraid to call on sick or elderly members of the opposition party to resign, fearing that one day they would find themselves in a similar situation. situation would arise.
That’s why Senate Republicans didn’t harass John Fetterman (D-Pa.) for his hospitalization for depression, or Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) for her extended absence due to complications from shingles (and her general aloofness at her return). Similarly, the Democrats didn’t go after Mark Kirk (R-Ill.) after his stroke or Thad Cochran (R-Miss.) as he shuffled through the Senate and appeared to be lost.
Of course, none of these members held a managerial position. And where past senators (most recently New Mexico Democrat Ben Ray Luján) have brought their doctors to explain their health problems, McConnell has not.
Privately, some Senate Republicans are beginning to push for more information about the man who has led them since 2007 and is the longest-serving Republican leader in history.
“If we stay with him, he kind of owes it to us to tell us what’s going on,” a GOP aide from an office associated with McConnell, who was given anonymity to speak openly, told Wednesday night. against Playbook.
On the outside, some conservative commentators are less diplomatic. While wishing McConnell well, Klein of National Review, for example, wrote that “it is difficult to see how much longer he can serve as the top Republican in the Senate if he is unable to answer basic questions from reporters.”
“This is especially true as the Republicans are planning to run for president [Joe] Biden’s age and declining mental state will be a central part of their argument against him next year,” Klein wrote.
McConnell, who overcame polio as a child, has long been extremely reticent when it comes to health issues, even as other legislators have become more transparent. McConnell comes from an old-fashioned mindset where he’s shy about talking about his challenges, and certainly doesn’t want to be seen as trying to win pity.
That is why even some in his inner circle don’t know what exactly he is suffering from. Most seem to believe the freezes are just part of his recovery from his concussion and claim they won’t hinder his ability to serve.
Scott Jennings, a longtime McConnell confidant who was with McConnell all Wednesday, the day before and much of August, insisted that despite what happened, McConnell spent twenty minutes answering questions, holding a fundraiser for Rep. . Jim Banks in Indiana and participated in a voter roundtable. Jennings also stressed that his speech and memory seem as sharp as ever.
“He was in charge of the issues. I’ve talked about the political map and the Senate map,” Jennings told Playbook. “It was as if it were normal: McConnell, fully focused and doing his job.”
McConnell, meanwhile, called key Republican Senate allies to reassure them of his ability to lead. In recent weeks, his allies have pointed out that he is on the road, attending events in Washington or Kentucky as usual. He was spotted at an MLB rally the night after his first freezing episode — even as at least one Senate Republican told Playbook they wanted him to go to the hospital instead. on Wednesday night, Banks tweeted a photo of him and McConnell talking at his fundraiser.
Still, the situation has fueled speculation about McConnell’s future, even as his office insists he will serve out his full term. That’s likely to increase next week, as the Senate returns from recess — especially if McConnell skips his daily morning remarks, doesn’t hold his leadership meeting on fly-in day, or doesn’t talk to reporters after weekly conference lunches.
At the moment, none of his members are calling for him to step down as leader – although five of them could force a conference to discuss the matter.
Even Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.), who ran against McConnell for leadership last year and has previously publicly gone to war with the Republican leader, is willing to go there — at least not yet. “I expect that he will remain the Republican leader during this term” he told CBS on Wednesday. “After the 2024 election, there will be another election.”
But if the episodes continue — and if McConnell’s team continues to keep both his colleagues and the American public in the dark — that could change.
