Image: (APA/AFP/SAUL LOEB)
During the press round in the state of Kentucky on Wednesday, the 81-year-old senator fell silent again. Only after half a minute of silence did he seem to have recovered himself. A similar incident occurred at a press conference in the Capitol in Washington at the end of July.
This time, after an event in Kenton County, McConnell was asked by a reporter if he wanted to run for re-election in 2026. McConnell, standing behind a lectern, stared straight ahead and didn’t answer. When a staff member repeated the reporter’s words and asked him if he understood the question, he quietly replied “yes” but didn’t begin to speak, finally followed by an “okay.” His employee then asked the group if anyone had any questions.
Shortly thereafter, US media quoted a spokesman for McConnell as saying that the senator briefly felt dizzy and therefore stopped.
McConnell is the longest-serving party leader in US Senate history. According to the Chamber of Congress, he has been elected to lead the Republicans nine times since 2006, as majority or minority leader depending on the outcome of each general election and the parties’ Senate seats. He has long been considered one of the most important string pullers in US politics.
In March, McConnell fell while having a private dinner at a Washington hotel. He suffered a concussion and was therefore treated in a hospital. The old age of top American politicians is always the subject of discussions. At 80, Joe Biden is the oldest US president of all time and is seeking a second term.
When asked by reporters about the McConnell incident on Wednesday, Biden said he had only just heard about it. He doesn’t know enough about the incident but wants to try to reach McConnell. “Mitch is a friend,” the Democrat said. “We don’t always agree politically, but he’s a good friend.”
Source: Nachrichten
