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 he 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 suffered a concussion and minor rib fracture.
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.
This is a developing story
