Democratic Rep. John Larson abruptly froze while giving a speech on the House floor on Monday, causing worry over his health but something staffers attributed to “an adverse reaction to a new medication.”
The Connecticut lawmaker was in the middle of a five-minute speech talking about concerns about Social Security privacy under the new Trump administration when his body language suddenly shifted from engaged to vacant.
For approximately six seconds, Larson, 76, stood at the microphone and stared forward. He seemingly struggled to get out a few words before going completely silent for another 20 seconds.
Larson slowly picked up where he left off and finished his speech with significantly less energy and cadence.
A clip of the moment circulated on social media that led some people to raise concerns for Larson’s health as they compared the moment to similar episodes former Senate minority leader Mitch McConnell experienced.
A spokesperson for Larson’s office said in a statement that the Democrat “had what was likely an adverse reaction to a new medication” and received tests administered by the House Attending Physician “out of an abundance of caution.”
The spokesperson did not elaborate on what medication may have caused the adverse reaction.
Larson “participated in multiple meetings in his office and was alert and engaged,” the spokesperson added. “The Congressman remains in touch with his staff and in good spirits.”
NEW: Democrat Rep. John Larson has a medical episode during a speech, freezes up for nearly a minute after blasting republicans for not “speaking up.”
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) February 11, 2025
“Don't worry. No one on the Republican side who controls both the House and Senate is going to speak up…”
Larson has been in… pic.twitter.com/6jbGfHQNI7
Larson has represented Connecticut’s first district, which includes the state capital, since 1999. He formerly chaired the House Democratic Caucus and serves as the ranking member for the Subcommittee on Social Security – a topic he is passionate about.
During his speech on Monday, Larson was taking issue with Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency accessing sensitive payment information in the Treasury Department system – specifically how it may impact Social Security.
“Privacy is something that Americans value, data is something that billionaires can turn into money and so Mr. Speaker, we need to know what role Elon Musk and DOGE – or I call it dodge, because they dodge accountability, will have with the [Social Security Administration] and with everyone’s hard-earned benefits,” Larson said.
The Democrat called out Musk for trying to access data despite being “in an unauthorized position, not approved by the Senate with no accountability”.
Lawmakers such as Larson have raised major concerns about DOGE making cuts to Social Security – although President Donald Trump promised not to touch Social Security benefits on the campaign trail and the White House reiterated that last week.
