For the second time this summer, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) has seemingly frozen and been unable to speak while meeting with reporters. The 81 year old was at an event in Kentucky earlier this week when he appeared to freeze for an uncomfortable amount of time after being asked a question.
On Thursday’s show, Megyn was joined by Glenn Greenwald, host of Rumble’s System Update, to discuss the latest concerns around Sen. McConnell’s health and what it means for aging members of Congress.
McConnell’s Latest Health Concerns
On Wednesday, McConnell was speaking with the media after delivering a speech in Covington, KY. A reporter asked McConnell whether or not he was planning to seek re-election in 2026. The majority leader asked him to repeat the question a few times before chuckling, pausing, and then staring straight ahead without speaking. The silence lasted about 30 seconds.
When the person standing next to McConnell asked him if he heard the question, he did not respond. “I’m sorry, you all, we’re gonna need a minute,” the aide told reporters. Another member of McConnell’s team then whispered something to him that he quietly responded to. At that point, McConnell turned back to the media and the aide solicited more questions while encouraging reporters to “speak up.”
Later on Wednesday, McConnell attended a fundraiser for Rep. Jim Banks, who is running for Senate in Indiana seemingly without issue. His team attempted to provide an explanation for the behavior, saying McConnell “felt momentarily lightheaded and paused during his press conference today.” The statement said the Kentucky Republican was feeling “fine” but would be “consulting a physician prior to his next event” as a “prudential measure.”
This comes on the heels of a similar incident earlier this summer. In late July, McConnell was conducting his weekly news conference with reporters when he seemingly froze. Concerned Republican lawmakers escorted the majority leader away from the press, though he later resumed the event. His office later said that he was dehydrated.
In March, the majority leader suffered a concussion and broken ribs and was hospitalized for several days after falling at an event in Washington, DC. That took him out of commission for nearly six weeks. It is believed that McConnell has fallen a few other occasions this year, though he was not significantly injured.
America’s Aging Politicos
It was reported that McConnell got in touch with allies after yesterday’s freeze up to offer reassurance about his well-being. Megyn said it is sad to see the majority leader in this situation, but it appears it may be time for him to step down. “I think this is a man who served the country very honorably… and he has done for Republican politics more than most of the GOP… So I take no pleasure in any of this,” she said. “But the fact is, he doesn’t seem well enough to be a sitting U.S. senator anymore. He just doesn’t.”
As Megyn explained, McConnell’s condition is part of a larger conversation about the health of politicians in America today. “If we’re gonna call out the John Fettermans and the Dianne Feinsteins of the world, we’re derelict if we don’t do it to the Mitch McConnells of the world,” she said. “He’s not being open about what’s happening to him. It’s very clearly something.”
While Greenwald admitted that this is a “tricky and delicate issue,” he said politicians are not entitled to the same privacy when it comes to their health as private citizens are. “This is somebody with a great deal of power and responsibility and, therefore, it is a concern of public matter,” he explained. “We have people… who are clearly staying in power longer than their capabilities and physical conditions permit.”
In a perfect world, Megyn said McConnell and others would step aside. But that is not what’s happening. “We don’t want to kick any of these people out; we want them to go gracefully into the sunset with our thanks, our salute,” she concluded. “Don’t make us watch you deteriorate to the point of incapacity… to where we have to fire you, we have to boot you out with an indignant flair.”
You can check out Megyn’s full interview with Greenwald by tuning in to episode 619 on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you like to listen. And don’t forget that you can catch The Megyn Kelly Show live on SiriusXM’s Triumph (channel 111) weekdays from 12pm to 2pm ET.