Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell has been cleared to resume business as usual after twice in the past two months when he “stiffed” while answering questions from reporters, a congressional doctor said Thursday.
Capitol Attending Physician Dr. Brian Monahan said in a statement released by McConnell’s office that he had consulted with the 81-year-old Kentucky Republican and his neurological team and that McConnell was “medically clear to continue his schedule as planned.”
“Occasional dizziness is not uncommon in concussion recovery and can also be expected from dehydration,” says Monahan.
The statement came almost exactly 24 hours after McConnell sparked fresh speculation about his health when he suffered an episode in his home state while answering questions about his prospects of running for re-election in 2026.
“What do I think about what?” McConnell asked during a media availability in Covington, Ky., near Cincinnati.
“Running for re-election in 2026,” replied one reporter.
“Oh,” McConnell exclaimed before his eyes darted upward and he stared blankly into space.
“Did you hear that question, Senator? Running for re-election in 2026?” a woman standing next to McConnell said.
After about 30 seconds, McConnell seemed to snap back to reality and took two additional questions. A senator’s representative also chalked up the strange moment to dizziness shortly after it happened.
McConnell was allowed to resume work as usual after two incidents when he “stiffed” while answering questions from reporters, a Capitol doctor said Thursday. via REUTERS
McConnell suffered a concussion in a fall March 8 at the Waldorf-Astoria hotel in Washington. He also fell while disembarking a canceled flight at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport in northern Virginia on July 14.
Thirteen days later, McConnell was answering questions from reporters at the Capitol when he suddenly avoided and assumed a blank stare for about 20 seconds. On that occasion, the Senate Republican leader was led away by his colleagues before returning to the microphone to answer additional questions.
Although McConnell’s exact condition has not been confirmed, two leading theories in the medical community are that the symptoms stem from either a partial seizure or a mini-stroke.
Dr. Lee Schwamm, a professor of biomedical informatics and data science at Yale School of Medicine who has not treated the senator, suggested to The Post that the most plausible theory is a partial complex seizure, which can be caused by previous brain trauma — such as a concussion.
“He didn’t lose his balance. He did not fall. He froze .. His hands were gripping the lectern but if you look at his face, you’ll see his eyes veer to the right,” explained Schwamm, who also suggested that the repetitive nature of the incident could mean that McConnell has partial epilepsy. .
The statement came almost exactly 24 hours after McConnell sparked fresh speculation about his health when he suffered an episode in his home state. via REUTERS
Dr. Steven Giannotta, chairman and professor of neurosurgery at the University of Southern California’s Keck School of Medicine, who also had not seen McConnell, explained that transient ischemic attacks, widely known as “mini-strokes,” are not unheard of. in the elderly.
“It’s pretty common in people his age, for obvious reasons — brain aging and blood vessel aging and all kinds of reasons for not getting enough blood flow to the brain,” Giannotta said of McConnell.
However, Schwamm warns, the repeated nature of clotting incidents makes a TIA less likely.
“I think TIA or warning stroke is definitely valid in the differential diagnosis with the first spell [in July],” he said. “With the second time this spell has happened and especially with the eye movement changes we’ve seen – that makes it less likely.”
As for Monahan’s suggestion that dehydration might be causing McConnell’s behavior, both Schwamm and Giannotta dismissed the idea.
“You don’t get focal brain symptoms by being dehydrated,” Giannotta told The Post, noting that people can pass out from lack of fluids but usually don’t develop a fixed vision like McConnell did.
McConnell suffered a concussion in a fall March 8 at the Waldorf-Astoria hotel in Washington. AP
Schwamm agreed, saying the dehydration theory “doesn’t make sense.”
The Senate is now in August recess and will reconvene in Washington Sept. 5, with Politico reporting Thursday that some GOP-ers are considering holding an emergency meeting to discuss McConnell’s position after they return. Only five Republican senators would need to request such a meeting to make it happen.
McConnell is the longest-serving Senate Republican leader in US history, having held the post since 2007. If he steps down before 2027, Kentucky law requires the governor to appoint a Republican successor.
Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.), who unsuccessfully challenged McConnell for the leadership last year, told CBS News that he doesn’t foresee any danger to the octogenarian’s position.
McConnell could not answer questions about the re-election campaign. AP
“I expect him to continue to be the leader of the Republic through this term,” Scott said Wednesday. “We will hold another election after the 2024 election.”
President Biden, nine months McConnell’s junior and a longtime Senate colleague, told reporters Thursday that he had spoken with Republican leaders earlier in the day and that he “sounded like his old self.”
“Having some understanding of dealing with neurosurgeons and people — and one of the leading ladies on my staff, whose husband is also a neurosurgeon — it’s not at all unusual to get the kind of response that sometimes happens to Mitch when you have severe concussion problem,” said the president. “It’s part of the recovery, so I’m sure he’ll be back to his old self.”
Asked if he had any doubts about McConnell’s ability to do his job, Biden replied: “No, I don’t.”
Rep. Jim Banks (R-Ind.), who is running for Senate in 2024, posted a photo of himself chatting with McConnell on X, formerly known as Twitter, which he said was taken Wednesday afternoon, hours after the second freeze.
“Enjoyed a wide-ranging discussion with @LeaderMcConnell this evening about the future of our country,” Bank tweets. “I look forward to working with him on the issues facing our border states.”
Not all corners of conservative society are so sympathetic.
“The time has come for the Kentucky senator, after his long impressive tenure, to make the decision to step down from the leadership,” National Review editors wrote. “This is clearly abnormal and affects his ability to function as the primary representative of his caucus.”
Additional reporting by Steven Nelson.
Categories: Trending
Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
