Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell was injured in a fall Tuesday, sustaining a minor cut to his face and a sprained wrist, but the seven-term Kentucky senator has been cleared to return to his duties, his office said.
A McConnell aide told reporters shortly after the incident, which took place following the Senate GOP lunch, that the 82-year-old senator had been checked out by a physician in his office. Medical staff were also seen leaving the office. McConnell, who is stepping down from his leadership post next Congress, was hospitalized after a fall in March 2023 that left him with a concussion.
“You all who have followed him closely know that he has a weak left leg and has occasionally taken a spill because of lasting effects from polio,” the aide said, adding that he wasn’t sure whether the previous health issue was the cause of the fall.
McConnell, who first took over the Senate GOP’s top post in 2007, froze up in front of reporters on two separate instances after his March 2023 fall, though he was subsequently cleared to continue his work. He also fell at his Kentucky home in 2019 and fractured his shoulder.
McConnell’s falls have also come amid increasing scrutiny about elderly politicians. California Sen. Dianne Feinstein had several health issues before she died in office at age 90 in September 2023. President Joe Biden was also dogged by age concerns before he ended his reelection bid this summer.
McConnell didn’t address his recent health struggles when he announced in February his intent to step away from Republican leadership.
“I still have enough gas in my tank to thoroughly disappoint my critics, and I intend to do so with all the enthusiasm with which they’ve become accustomed,” he said at the time.
Sen. John Thune, R-S.D., the incoming majority leader, addressed McConnell’s fall at a post-lunch news conference at the Capitol, which the Kentucky senator did not attend.
“He is fine, he’s in his office, and any other questions about Sen. McConnell, [I’ll] refer to his staff,” said Thune.
McConnell has said he intends to serve out the rest of his term, which runs through January 2027. He has not yet said if he will seek an eighth term.
David Lerman contributed to this report.
This report was corrected to reflect McConnell’s role as Senate minority leader.
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