Sen. Thune speaks after McConnell suffers fall
Sen. John Thune speaks, says Sen. McConnell ‘fine’ after suffering fall during GOP lunch.
Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., fell during a GOP lunch on Tuesday.
Fox News reported seeing a wheelchair wheeled into the senator’s office just before 1 p.m., and a little while later, a Washington, D.C. fire and rescue team emerged from his office.
McConnell was not in attendance at the Senate GOP weekly presser on Tuesday.
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Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., takes a question from a reporter during a news conference following the weekly Senate Republican policy luncheon at the U.S. Capitol on Nov. 19, 2024 in Washington, D.C. (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)
When asked about McConnell’s fall during the presser, Sen. John Thune said McConnell was fine.
“He’s in his office,” Thune said. “And any other questions about Sen. McConnell, I’ll refer to staff.”
A spokesperson for McConnell told Fox News Digital, “Leader McConnell tripped following lunch. He sustained a minor cut to the face and sprained his wrist. He has been cleared to resume his schedule.”
MCCONNELL FREEZES UP DURING PRESS CONFERENCE, LATER SAYS ‘I’M FINE’
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, a Republican from Kentucky, speaks during a news conference at the US Capitol in Washington, DC, US, on Wednesday, Nov. 6, 2024 (Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
This is not the first time the Republican leader has fallen.
McConnell had a concussion after a fall last year.
He also had two public episodes when he appeared to freeze while addressing reporters.
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Senate Minority Leader freezes while trying to answer a question from the press. (WXIX)
During one of those instances, McConnell was answering questions from reporters in Covington, Kentucky, in August 2023, when he froze for more than 30 seconds.
He had previously frozen for about 30 seconds during a news conference alongside other Republican lawmakers on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., a month prior. At the time, an aide told Fox News Digital he “felt light-headed and stepped away for a moment.”
As the longest serving Senate party leader in history, McConnell faced growing calls from his party to retire last year, and earlier this year, he announced he would step down from his leadership role.
