Mitch McConnell stumbled and fell inside a Senate office building on Thursday. The 83-year-old senator from Kentucky was answering a reporter's question in the basement of the Russell Senate Office Building when he suddenly lost his footing. An aide and a Capitol Police officer quickly came to his aid, helping him back up.
McConnell gave a quick wave to the camera before walking away on his own. The longtime Republican leader has had a few falls in public over the years, with the most recent one taking place in February, when he collapsed twice in a single day at the Capitol. This has raised serious questions about his deteriorating health.
Falling Again
Less than three months back, McConnell took another tumble during a Senate lunch, leaving him with a facial cut and a sprained wrist. Throughout 2023, he suffered multiple falls, including one that caused a concussion and several broken ribs.
His frequent falls have been linked to the lingering effects of polio, which affected his left leg when he was a child.
McConnell has also had at least two public "freezing" episodes, where he suddenly stopped speaking mid-sentence and stood motionless for roughly 30 seconds.
In September 2023, Dr. Brian Monahan, the attending physician for Congress, said that McConnell's public "freezing" episodes were not caused by a stroke or seizure, but were likely lingering effects of the concussion he suffered after a fall in March 2023.
These health scares have quietly fueled concern and speculation about whether McConnell can continue serving in Congress. He has appeared slower in both speech and movement in recent months and has noticeably lost weight.
Oldest but Weakest
McConnell, who was first elected in 1984, is the longest-serving senator from Kentucky. He isn't up for re-election until the 2026 midterms.
His situation has also renewed wider debate about the advanced age of many top U.S. politicians — including President Joe Biden, who has faced questions about his mental sharpness late in his term.
Currently, the oldest member of the Senate is Iowa's Chuck Grassley, who is 92. Bernie Sanders, at 84, is the second-oldest, followed by McConnell.
The average U.S. senator is about 64 years old — a noticeable jump from 1981, when the average age was around 53.
