Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) was escorted away from a press conference after he abruptly froze in the middle of a sentence.
On Wednesday, a video showed McConnell telling reporters, “We’re on a path to finishing the NDAA this week, there’s been good bipartisan cooperation.”
“And a string of uh…” he continued before abruptly cutting off his sentence and standing silently for just over 20 seconds.
Eventually, Sen. John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) was heard asking, “You OK, Mitch? Anything else you want to say or should we just go back to your office? Do you want to say anything else to the press?”
McConnell appeared to signal he was done speaking, then carefully walked away from the press conference as his colleagues appeared to help him.
Watch the video below:
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell begins his weekly press conference, freezes for 20 seconds, and then is escorted away by fellow Republicans. pic.twitter.com/mYdBaU0Acv
— The Recount (@therecount) July 26, 2023
NBC News’ Frank Thorp shared a video of McConnell walking away with Barrasso.
Flag: McConnell just stopped abruptly during his opening statement during the gop leadership presser and appeared to be unable to restart talking. He then stepped away and walked away with Barrasso: pic.twitter.com/f1kFUjggzm
— Frank Thorp V (@frankthorp) July 26, 2023
Eventually, the minority leader returned to the press conference but declined to share details about what transpired.
“Could you address what happened here at the start of the press conference and was it related to your injury from earlier this year where you suffered a concussion?” CNN’s Manu Raju asked.
McConnell insisted, “I’m fine.”
Raju pressed, “You’re fine? You’re fully able to do your job?”
“Yeah,” McConnell responded.
Q: "Could you address what happened here at the start of the press conference and was it related to your injury from earlier this year where you suffered a concussion?"
— CSPAN (@cspan) July 26, 2023
Sen. McConnell: "I'm fine."
Q: "You're fine? You're fully able to do your job?"
McConnell: "Yeah." pic.twitter.com/Can1RtzqmM
McConnell was absent from the Senate for almost six weeks after he suffered a concussion from a fall while attending a private dinner in March.
