Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell said he was feeling “fine” Wednesday after what appeared to be an alarming moment earlier at the weekly Senate leadership stakeout.
The 81 year-old Republican from Kentucky — who suffered a concussion earlier this year — needed to step away after halting his opening remarks at a regular media availability in the Ohio Clock Corridor. McConnell stood silently for a moment, then was approached by Republican Conference Chairman John Barrasso, who is a medical doctor. Barrasso asked him if he had more to say or wanted to return to his office, and then he was led away.
An aide to the minority leader said that McConnell had felt light-headed, and he returned a few minutes later, as the other members of the Senate GOP leadership team were finishing their opening comments. At that point, McConnell engaged with journalists in attendance and continued with his regular question-and-answer session.
Barrasso, R-Wyo., said an hour later he believes McConnell will be “fine.”
“As he said, he’s fine. He came out he answered questions,” Barrasso said. Asked if the minority leader might have been feeling the effects of intense heat and humidity in Washington, Barrasso replied: “It could be.”
But the conference chairman appeared hesitant to deliver a hallway diagnosis: “I’m a doctor. I’m not his doctor.”
McConnell was absent from his Senate duties for part of the spring after a fall at a Republican political event in Washington led to a concussion. He returned to the Senate on April 17.
Wednesday’s incident came as senators were trying to wrap up work on the fiscal 2024 defense authorization bill before departing for August recess. McConnell had begun to discuss the bipartisan progress on the defense programs measure before the abrupt pause.
Sen. John Cornyn of Texas, a former top leadership deputy to McConnell, told reporters he did not think McConnell had left the Capitol complex to undergo medical treatment.
“He got a little light-headed,” Cornyn said, noting the leader returned to answer questions. “I have no reason to believe he’s not doing well.”
Notably, Cornyn paused when asked if he thinks McConnell, who won his seventh term by nearly 20 percentage points in 2020, should seek another Senate term or continue leading the GOP conference.
“I’ll certainly support Sen. McConnell as long as he wants to continue to serve,” he said.
Iowa Sen. Joni Ernst, who was the first to the minority leader’s side as he stood silent, said she was “concerned,” but declined to comment on his health or ability to remain as leader.
Sen. Charles E. Grassley, R-Iowa, was informed later of the incident by a Roll Call reporter. “Oh no. What happened?” he said, with a concerned facial expression. “I hadn’t heard anything.”
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