Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., could barely be heard giving a speech to his Kentucky constituents over the weekend, over boos and chants of “retire,” “ditch Mitch” and “shame on you.”
He addressed the crowd at the Fancy Farm Picnic, an annual political event in the state, less than two weeks after a scare that brought a new wave of concerns about the senator’s health and age.
“This is my 28th Fancy Farm, and I want to assure you it’s not my last,” McConnell said Saturday. McConnell during the event praised local Republican leaders and criticized Democratic policies, citing issues ranging from inflation to COVID-19 restrictions.
During a press conference in Washington late last month, McConnell froze mid-sentence for almost 30 seconds. The 81-year-old Republican had to be escorted from the lectern, and an aide to the senator told USA TODAY at the time McConnell “felt light headed and stepped away for a moment” but was “sharp” upon his return.
McConnell is the oldest serving party leader in Senate history. He has fallen at least three times this year, a source close to McConnell told USA TODAY. He suffered a concussion and broken ribs after a fall in March, and political observers wondered if he would attend the outdoor event over the weekend in the hot and muggy weather, the Louisville Courier Journal, part of the USA TODAY Network, reported.
McConnell isn’t the only lawmaker whose health has fueled questions in recent weeks. Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., last month mistakenly started reading a statement during a hearing and had to be prompted multiple times to vote. She returned to Washington earlier this year after she was hospitalized with shingles in March.
