Senate Republicans are growing more concerned about Minority Leader Mitch McConnell’s health after he froze for several seconds in the middle of a sentence, during a press conference last month.
Prior to his freeze up, McConnell was hospitalized in March with a concussion after a serious fall at a fundraising dinner. It was also reported that he fell multiple times in the weeks before he froze, but those accidents were kept private.
After the freeze up McConnell insisted he was “fine” and joked that he got “sandbagged,” a reference to comments President Joe Biden made in June when he fell onstage during the Air Force Academy graduation after stumbling over two sandbags.
But, McConnell’s comments did nothing to assuage his Senate colleagues concerns about this health.
According to Politico, McConnell is also “plagued by worsening hearing loss” likely due to his childhood bout with polio, and his colleagues have “grown more alarmed” about his health.
One lawmaker reportedly spoke with McConnell’s staff about whether he should consider getting hearing implants.
“He was sitting there as the conversation went on around him,” a colleague told Politico after a recent Senate Republican lunch, alluding to McConnell’s hearing loss.
McConnell, 81, is the longest serving Senate leader in history. Last year, he won a ninth term as the GOP Senate leader by easily defeating Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.) in a 37-10 vote.
