Washington Following a fall in the Capitol, Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., was spotted using a wheelchair, but his office reported Wednesday that he is “fine.”
McConnell, the senator, is all right. “His regular work schedule will not be disrupted by the residual effects of polio in his left leg,” a McConnell spokesperson stated. McConnell, 82, was a youngster who contracted polio.
Additionally, the spokesperson stated that McConnell is only using a wheelchair as a precaution.
As McConnell was exiting the Senate chamber to attend a Republican caucus lunch, reporters saw him stumble down a short flight of steps.
While heading down the stairs from the Senate floor, McConnell collapsed. Sen. Steve Daines, R-Mont., told reporters, “I think he just slipped on the steps, I was right behind him and helped him get back up, and he walked on his own power to lunch.”
At first, McConnell left the lunch on foot, holding his assistant’s arm. Shortly after, NBC News saw him wheeling back to the lunchroom.
In recent years, McConnell, who is still a member of the Senate but resigned as Senate Republican leader earlier this year, has faced a number of health issues.
The senator from Kentucky suffered a minor cut to his cheek and a sprain to his wrist after falling in December at the Capitol after a weekly meal with Senate Republicans.
McConnell appeared to freeze at a number of instances in 2023. One occurred in July during a news conference at the Capitol, and another occurred in August while he was addressing reporters in Kentucky. McConnell remained silent for 19 seconds during the D.C. episode. McConnell was hospitalized and treated for a concussion earlier that year after tripping at a hotel in Washington, D.C., during an event hosted by the Senate Leadership Fund, a super PAC that McConnell supports.
In 2019, McConnell tripped and fell at home in Kentucky, breaking his shoulder.
Some Republican senators voiced concerns about his general health following the freezing episodes in 2023 and asked him to be more open about his circumstances.
However, the leading Republican, who is currently the Senate Rules Committee’s chair, dismissed inquiries on his health issues. He informed reporters at the time that he intended to serve out the remainder of his Senate term, which ends in 2027, following the freezing episodes. He has not stated if he intends to seek reelection the following year.