Mitch McConnell has dropped a new investigation into his health after being questioned about two recent instances in which he appeared to be cold in public.
When asked about the incidents in an interview with CBS News, the 81-year-old representative from Kentucky insisted he was “fully recovered.”
“Face the Nation” host Margaret Brennan asked the politician whether there was anything the public should know about his health — prompting McConnell to respond asking her to change the subject.
It was the first time since last month that McConnell – the second most powerful person in the Senate – spoke about the incidents, when he said he had no plans to resign early even after his most recent incident in August.
Before being questioned about his health, the Republican tackled topics ranging from Israel to the race for House president – but was visibly put off by Brennan’s questioning.
He has been elected and re-elected several times, first taking office in 1985 and his term does not expire until 2027. He has stated that he has no plans to retire.
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Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell suspended investigations into his health on Sunday after being questioned about two instances in which he appeared to freeze in public in recent months
It was the first time McConnell – the second most powerful person in the Senate – spoke about the incidents since last month, when he said he had no plans to resign early, even after his last episode in August (right) and another in July (Left)
“I’m in good shape – fully recovered and back on the job,” he said, months after he was hospitalized and treated for a concussion following a fall at a D.C. dinner event in March.
‘I’m doing well. “I am fully recovered and doing well,” he said.
Brennan further pointed to how members of McConnell’s office released a statement about his health last month after his most recent incident the month before – when he appeared to freeze for about 30 seconds when asked whether he would run for re-election in Kentucky.
The statement included a statement from Capitol physician Dr. Brian Monahan, who ruled out a seizure, stroke or movement disorder as the cause of the speaker’s second public cold incident.
Instead, the D.C. doctor attributed the incident to dehydration and recovery from a concussion on the Kentuckian’s part – a prognosis that was in direct contradiction to other doctors’ reported impressions of both of McConnell’s episodes.
Brennan said: “You and your office felt the need to share and disclose some details about your health following some of these public incidents – the doctor here said there was no evidence of Parkinson’s disease, a stroke or a seizure.”
She further asked, “And I’m wondering if there’s anything the public should know that hasn’t been revealed?”
That’s when the stoic McConnell said for the second time that he was fully recovered and competent enough, both mentally and physically, to continue his six-year term.
During the interview, “Face the Nation” host Margaret Brennan persistently asked the politician if there was anything else the public needed to know about his health – eventually prompting a curt response from McConnell asking her to change the subject
Visibly annoyed, the Senate’s second-most powerful official responded at one point: “I think we should talk about what we talked about earlier, not about my health.”
But Brennan stood his ground, asking the Senate leader again: “So does this mean that you think you are able to continue to serve and that you want to continue to serve here at a time when we have incredible dysfunction in Washington speak?”
The question placed particular emphasis on the word “want” and was intended to visibly alarm the politician.
He replied: “I think we should talk about what we talked about earlier and not about my health.”
The questions about McConnell’s health stopped there, but became more important as the interview continued.
McConnell – the third-senior Senate official after Bernie Sanders and Chuck Grassley of Idaho – suddenly stopped speaking to the press for the first time in July and then had to be removed from a podium after standing before the press for several seconds.
A month later, another similar incident occurred – after which McConnell won the support of his Senate Republican colleagues in his bid to remain in office.
The minority leader was hospitalized back in March and treated for a concussion he sustained after falling in front of several colleagues and other officials at a Washington, D.C. hotel. He has continued to insist that he is still able and willing to do his job
However, the moments raised concerns among fellow Republican senator from Kentucky, Rand Paul, when he told reporters last month: “Everyone has seen the clips – it’s not a valid medical diagnosis when people say it’s dehydration.”
But as the interview showed, McConnel continued to insist that he was still able and willing to do the job and has repeatedly expressed his desire to do so.
As noted, the minority leader was hospitalized back in March and treated for a concussion he sustained after falling in front of several colleagues and other officials at a D.C. hotel.