Senate Minority Leader 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 need a minute.” Another 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 “fine.”
Flag: McConnell simply stopped abruptly throughout his opening assertion in the course of 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 may need occurred in both occasion. On Wednesday, McConnell’s workplace stated in a press release that he “felt momentarily lightheaded and paused during his press conference today.” In July, McConnell’s workplace additionally stated that he was feeling light-headed, however didn’t elaborate on why.
Thursday, congressional doctor Brian Monahan stated in a press release that after talking with McConnell and “his neurology team,” he deems the lawmaker “medically clear to continue with his schedule.” McConnell and his aides have maintained that he feels high quality within the wake of the incident.
Wednesday’s incident is the most recent in a sequence of well being points which have raised considerations in regards to 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 12 months, for which he was hospitalized for 5 days and stayed at a rehabilitation facility. He didn’t seem on the Senate ground for six weeks following the autumn. He additionally tripped and fell whereas disembarking from a aircraft in July, although he didn’t undergo any severe accidents consequently.
McConnell just isn’t the one senator going through considerations associated to their well being and age. Ninety-year-old California Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D) has not too long ago confronted calls to resign from congressional Democrats amid questions on her cognitive skills.
While McConnell has not articulated any intention of stepping down anytime quickly — he laughed off a query a couple of 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 may need occurred to McConnell?
Without an official prognosis (which McConnell has not launched), it’s unimaginable to know what’s inflicting these occasions. Monahan appeared to recommend they could possibly be tied to McConnell’s concussion, or that it’s doable the minority chief has been negligent in ingesting water, writing, “Occasional lightheadedness is not uncommon in concussion recovery and can also be expected as a result of dehydration.”
One different rationalization could possibly be that he’s experiencing episodes of transient aphasia, which is a short lived interruption in an individual’s capacity to make use of language. This interruption may coincide with the particular person not understanding what’s being stated to them or what’s occurring, however it’s additionally doable for the particular person to be totally conscious of what’s occurring in the course of the episode.
Aphasia, whether or not episodic or persistent, is commonly a long-lasting or everlasting function of situations affecting the mind, together with cancers, infections, and plenty of types of dementia. However, it will probably additionally happen in shorter bursts when it’s brought on by short-term modifications in mind circulation or within the pathways that conduct electrical impulses by the organ.
One of the most typical causes of transient episodes of aphasia is a short lived blockage of a blood vessel within the mind, referred to as a transient ischemic assault, or a “mini-stroke.” When an individual has one in every of these occasions, it suggests they’re at excessive danger of a full-blown stroke within the subsequent few days or perhaps weeks.
Certain forms of seizures also can trigger episodes of transient aphasia. Seizures have many doable causes and are generally the primary symptom of medical situations affecting the mind, together with strokes and head accidents.
Other, much less doubtless situations — like migraines and medicine reactions — may result in comparable signs however are much less doubtless on this case. Again, with out an official prognosis, it’s unimaginable to know the trigger; regardless, occasions like these advantage instant medical analysis to diagnose and deal with no matter underlying situation is inflicting them.
Although he left the rostrum immediately 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. Beyond sharing Monahan’s letter, his workplace has not shared particulars about his well being. —Keren Landman
Who may exchange McConnell if he retires?
Though a few GOP lawmakers are reportedly weighing whether or not to assemble the caucus to talk about McConnell and his future, McConnell’s Republican colleagues have remained publicly supportive of him.
Texas Sen. John Cornyn stated in July, “I’ll support Senator McConnell as long as he wants to remain as leader.” Texas Sen. Ted Cruz advised Politico on the time, “That obviously was concerning. I hope it was just a momentary issue and that he’s doing better. … I have every hope that he will fight back from any health issues and fully recover.” And even his someday rival Sen. Rick Scott advised CBS after his second incident, “I expect he’ll continue to be the Republican leader through this term.”
McConnell’s time period is up in 2027, and he’s ensured that if he had been to retire earlier than then, anybody who replaces him must be a Republican. In 2021, he pushed for the passage of a new legislation in Kentucky that requires the governor to nominate a Senate substitute from the identical celebration because the earlier senator and from a listing of names offered by the state celebration. That implies that although Kentucky’s governor is a Democrat, ought to McConnell retire, it wouldn’t change the stability of energy within the Senate.
Then there’s the query of who would exchange him because the celebration’s chief within the Senate. Cornyn, Sen. John Barrasso (R-WY), and Sen. John Thune (R-SD) are seen are doable 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 National Republican Senatorial Committee, has likened his relationship with Trump to a dangerous marriage (although he has solid votes supporting Trump’s agenda 95 p.c 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 celebration, which has not forgiven him for acknowledging the occasions of January 6, 2021, as a “violent insurrection” on the US Capitol whereas the Republican National Committee insisted it was “legitimate political discourse.” He’s additionally not too long ago damaged with MAGA on funding for the battle in Ukraine and has stated that he received’t simply again the candidates endorsed by Trump going ahead after such candidates broadly underperformed within the 2022 midterms.
While the people who find themselves probably 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 celebration to develop its affect. Sen. Rick Scott (R-FL), who identifies as a key Trump ally, launched a management problem to McConnell earlier this 12 months. Though Scott solely picked up 10 votes, it was a sign that the celebration is present process an ideological shift that, in McConnell’s absence, may speed up.
Update, August 31, 3 pm ET: This story, initially revealed July 27, has been up to date to mirror one other occasion of McConnell showing to freeze and a press release from Congress’s attending doctor, Brian Monahan.
Correction, August 30, 5:20 pm ET: A earlier model of this story misstated Mitch McConnell’s title. He is the Senate minority chief.
