Senate Minority Chief Mitch McConnell appeared to expertise one other well being episode throughout a information convention in Kentucky on Wednesday, falling silent for greater than 30 seconds when he was requested whether or not he would search reelection.
His aide requested him if he had heard the query earlier than saying, “We’re going to wish a minute.” One other aide checked on him, and he finally responded earlier than shifting on to additional questions.
It’s the second such obvious episode in two months. In July, McConnell froze mid-sentence for about 20 seconds throughout a information convention on Capitol Hill earlier than he was briefly ushered away after which returned saying he was “wonderful.”
Flag: McConnell simply stopped abruptly throughout his opening assertion through the gop management presser and seemed to be unable to restart speaking. He then stepped away and walked away with Barrasso: pic.twitter.com/f1kFUjggzm
— Frank Thorp V (@frankthorp) July 26, 2023
It’s not clear what might need occurred in both occasion. On Wednesday, McConnell’s workplace mentioned in an announcement that he “felt momentarily lightheaded and paused throughout his press convention at present.” He now feels wonderful, however will likely be talking with a doctor earlier than his subsequent occasion, in response to a McConnell aide.
In July, McConnell’s workplace additionally mentioned that he was feeling light-headed, however didn’t elaborate on why.
Wednesday’s incident is the most recent in a sequence of well being points which have raised issues concerning the 81-year-old Senate chief’s well being. He suffered from a concussion and a fractured rib from a fall at a DC lodge earlier this yr, for which he was hospitalized for 5 days and stayed at a rehabilitation facility. He didn’t seem on the Senate flooring for six weeks following the autumn. He additionally tripped and fell whereas disembarking from a aircraft in July, although he didn’t endure any critical accidents consequently.
McConnell just isn’t the one senator going through issues associated to their well being and age. Ninety-year-old California Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D) has lately confronted calls to resign from congressional Democrats amid questions on her cognitive talents.
Whereas McConnell has not articulated any intention of stepping down anytime quickly — he laughed off a query a few successor in July and his workplace didn’t reply to questions on his future plans Wednesday — his retirement would dramatically shake up the dynamics within the Senate.
What might need occurred to McConnell?
With out an official report of a analysis (which McConnell has not launched), it’s unimaginable to know what’s inflicting these occasions. However one clarification may very well be that he’s experiencing episodes of transient aphasia, which is a brief interruption in an individual’s skill to make use of language. This interruption may coincide with the individual not understanding what’s being mentioned to them or what’s happening, however it’s additionally potential for the individual to be totally conscious of what’s taking place through the episode.
Aphasia, whether or not episodic or persistent, is usually a long-lasting or everlasting characteristic of situations affecting the mind, together with cancers, infections, and plenty of types of dementia. Nonetheless, it may additionally happen in shorter bursts when it’s attributable to short-term adjustments in mind circulation or within the pathways that conduct electrical impulses by the organ.
Probably the most frequent causes of transient episodes of aphasia is a brief blockage of a blood vessel within the mind, known as a transient ischemic assault, or a “mini-stroke.” When an individual has one in all these occasions, it suggests they’re at excessive threat of a full-blown stroke within the subsequent few days or perhaps weeks.
Sure varieties of seizures may trigger episodes of transient aphasia. Seizures have many potential causes and are generally the primary symptom of medical situations affecting the mind, together with strokes and head accidents.
Different, much less seemingly situations — like migraines and drugs reactions — may result in related signs however are much less seemingly on this case. Once more, with out an official analysis, it’s unimaginable to know the trigger; regardless, occasions like these advantage speedy medical analysis to diagnose and deal with no matter underlying situation is inflicting them.
It’s not clear what sort of analysis McConnell has already had, or what the analysis talked about by his aide may entail. Though he left the rostrum instantly after the July occasion, he returned a couple of minutes later to reply questions from the press corps, and he spoke with reporters within the night. His workplace has not shared particulars about his well being. —Keren Landman
Who may substitute McConnell if he retires?
McConnell’s Republican colleagues stay supportive of him. Texas Sen. John Cornyn mentioned in July, “I’ll help Senator McConnell so long as he needs to stay as chief.” And Texas Sen. Ted Cruz informed Politico on the time, “That clearly was regarding. I hope it was only a momentary situation and that he’s doing higher. … I’ve each hope that he’ll struggle again from any well being points and totally recuperate.”
McConnell’s time period is up in 2027, and he’s ensured that if he have been to retire earlier than then, anybody who replaces him must be a Republican. In 2021, he pushed for the passage of a new regulation in Kentucky that requires the governor to nominate a Senate substitute from the identical get together because the earlier senator and from a listing of names supplied by the state get together. That implies that although Kentucky’s governor is a Democrat, ought to McConnell retire, it wouldn’t change the steadiness of energy within the Senate.
Then there’s the query of who would substitute him because the get together’s chief within the Senate. Cornyn, Sen. John Barrasso (R-WY), and Sen. John Thune (R-SD) are seen are potential contenders to be McConnell’s successor. All three have at occasions sought to maintain their distance from former President Donald Trump.
Cornyn, previously McConnell’s whip and head of the Nationwide Republican Senatorial Committee, has likened his relationship with Trump to a unhealthy marriage (although he has forged votes supporting Trump’s agenda 95 % of the time.)
Thune, McConnell’s present deputy, has endorsed South Carolina Republican Sen. Tim Scott for president over Trump. That made him the highest-ranking Republican to interrupt with Trump within the 2024 contest.
What would McConnell’s retirement imply for the Senate?
McConnell has typically been at odds with the MAGA wing of the Republican get together, which has not forgiven him for acknowledging the occasions of January 6, 2021, as a “violent rebellion” on the US Capitol whereas the Republican Nationwide Committee insisted it was “respectable political discourse.” He’s additionally lately damaged with MAGA on funding for the conflict in Ukraine and has mentioned that he received’t simply again the candidates endorsed by Trump going ahead after such candidates broadly underperformed within the 2022 midterms.
Whereas the people who find themselves most certainly to succeed McConnell aren’t within the mildew of Trump, McConnell’s departure would create an influence vacuum — and a gap for the MAGA wing of the get together to develop its affect. Sen. Rick Scott (R-FL), who identifies as a key Trump ally, launched a management problem to McConnell earlier this yr. Although Scott solely picked up 10 votes, it was a sign that the get together is present process an ideological shift that, in McConnell’s absence, may speed up.
Replace, August 30, 5:20 pm ET: This story, initially printed July 27, has been up to date to replicate one other occasion of McConnell showing to freeze at a press convention.
Correction, August 30, 5:20 pm ET: A earlier model of this story misstated Mitch McConnell’s title. He’s the Senate minority chief.
