The fall was the latest in a series of medical incidents for McConnell, who is stepping down from his leadership post at the end of the year. He was hospitalized with a concussion in March 2023 and missed several weeks of work after falling in a downtown hotel. After he returned, he twice froze up during news conferences that summer, staring vacantly ahead before colleagues and staff came to his assistance.
McConnell also tripped and fell in 2019 at his home in Kentucky, causing a shoulder fracture that required surgery. He had polio in his early childhood and he has long acknowledged some difficulty as an adult in walking and climbing stairs.
After four decades in the Senate and almost two decades as GOP leader, McConnell announced in March that he would step down from his leadership post at the end of the year. But he will remain in the Senate, taking the helm of the Senate Rules Committee.
South Dakota Sen. John Thune was elected last month to become the next Senate leader when Republicans retake the majority in January.
Credit: AP
Credit: AP
Credit: AP
Credit: AP