Mitch McConnell freezes mid-sentence during press conference and is escorted away from podium

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ken.) suffered some kind of health episode mid-sentence during a press conference and was escorted away from the podium by colleagues.

McConnell later said that he was fine after the alarming incident on Wednesday afternoon during his weekly remarks.

"After finishing the NDA, this week, in good bipartisan cooperation, in a string of—" said McConnell before freezing for several seconds.

Republican Sen. John Barrasso of Wyoming, who is also a physician, leaned in to ask McConnell if he wanted to pause the conference.

"Hey Mitch. Is there anything else you wanna say, or should we just go back to your office?" said Barrasso. "Do you want to say anything else to the press?”

McConnell appeared to agree to the suggestion and was led away to his office. After some time he returned and answered several questions from the media.

The 81-year-old senator has had previous health concerns, including one incident in March during which he fell and hit his head at an event at at the Waldorf Astoria in Washington, D.C. He was hospitalized and treated for broken ribs and a concussion. McConnell also suffered from polio as a child.

A reporter asked McConnell when he returned whether the incident was related to his fall, but he responded only, "No, I'm fine."

A McConnell aide said that he had “felt light-headed and stepped away for a moment.”

McConnell has served in the Senate since 1985 and is up for re-election in 2026, but he has not said whether he plans to retire at the end of his term or run for another six-year term.

Here's a video of McConnell's episode:

McConnell freezes in press conference and is unable to finish statementwww.youtube.com

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