Senator Mitch McConnell tumbled in the halls of the Capitol as he made his way to the Senate, raising more questions about the health of the 83-year-old Kentucky Republican.
An aide was seen supporting an unsteady McConnell as he walked in a hallway towards the Senate chambers Thursday, according to video footage from the scene.
An activist with the Sunrise Movement asked the senator whether he supports Immigration and Customs Enforcement “taking working people off the streets and kidnapping them” before the former majority leader is seen falling forward and landing on his side.
The video shows his aide and a Capitol Police officer standing him up before the senator turns to the camera and waves. A spokesperson for McConnell told The Independent that the senator is “all good.” He was on his way to the Senate to cast votes on short-term spending bills to end the government shutdown.
McConnell — the longest-serving party leader in the upper chamber’s history – has faced intense scrutiny over his health following a series of public incidents in which he appeared to freeze for several seconds while talking to reporters.
He reportedly suffered two falls earlier this year, and he experienced a similar incident in December, when he fell inside the Capitol and sustained minor injuries. McConnell, who has walked with a limp after recovering from polio at a young age, returned to work in the Senate shortly after with a bandage on his cheek.
In 2023, McConnell froze up while speaking in at least two incidents, and he was away from the Senate for weeks after tripping at a Washington dinner. He was hospitalized for five nights after the fall left him with a concussion and a fractured rib. He underwent physical therapy.
The senator has rarely addressed the incidents, telling CBS Face the Nation in 2023 that he “completely recovered” after freezing in front of reporters that year.
“I’m fine, I’m completely recovered and just fine,” he said.
He stressed that he is “in good shape” and refused to answer additional questions about the incidents, which his office has not explained despite coming under fire from members of Congress who questioned his ability to serve.
The Office of the Attending Physician at Congress gave him a clean bill of health that year, reporting that he was “medically clear to continue with his schedule as planned.”
“Occasional lightheadedness is not uncommon in concussion recovery and can also be expected as a result of dehydration,” the office said at the time.
Last year, Senator John Thune succeeded McConnell as the Senate Republican leader, breaking a historic 18-year stretch as the party leader in the upper chamber.
McConnell intends to serve out his Senate term, which ends in January 2027.
Aru Shiney-Ajay, executive director of the Sunrise Movement, which captured footage of Thursday’s interaction, said the senator “couldn’t even answer a simple question without falling down, and it’s certainly not the first time he hasn’t been able to answer young people.”
“Both parties are run by out-of-touch octogenarians who have been in politics for longer than we’ve been alive,” Shiney-Ajay said. “Their incompetence and need to cling to power aren’t just embarrassing; they’re costly, and the American people are paying the price.”
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