Is this why Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell is freezing up in the middle of public appearances?
Two different doctors advanced a similar theory as to why McConnell has suddenly become silent and unresponsive during two different news conferences.
In a Wednesday Interview, Dr. Marc Siegel, a physician affiliated with New York Universityās Langone Medical Center, suggested on Fox News that the Republican Senate leader was suffering from Parkinsonās disease.
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āI have to tell you, at the top of that list, and again I havenāt examined him and I donāt have any background on this ā except Iāve talked to some people in Congress and in the Senate ā would be Parkinsonās disease.ā
āThat, in its later stages, can give you a freeze,ā Siegel said of McConnellās behavior, pointing out that the senatorās staffers hadnāt reacted with alarm bells.
McConnell became unresponsive and frozen for the second time in two months when speaking at a public function in Covington, Kentucky on Wednesday.
The event followed an incident in which McConnell became similarly unresponsive in the halls of the Capitol.
Neurosurgeon Dr. Sanjay Gupta had a similar theory for McConnellās difficulties in a CNNInterview, though he left open a range of different possibilities.
āThereās a lot of things that can sort of come to mind.ā
Gupta also pointed out that McConnellās aides hadnāt reacted with surprise, suggesting that the problems were āongoing.ā
āSomeone who has a Parkinsonian-like condition, for example, whose medications are wearing off, or something like that.ā
āThatās something that could sort of explain this behavior.ā
Parkinsonās disease is a serious degenerative disease in which patients lose control over their nervous system, according to the Mayo Clinic.
A McConnell spokesperson has indicated that the 81-year old senator merely felt lightheaded, although he planned on consulting with a physician following the incident.
This article appeared originally on The Western Journal.