Mitch McConnell Suddenly Freezes During Press Conference One Month After Similar Incident

An aide came to the Senate minority leader's side to repeat a question before telling reporters he needed a moment

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell is raising concerns after another incident in which he suddenly stopped speaking during a press conference with reporters.

During the press conference, footage of which was shared on X by WLWT producer Hannah Thomas, 81-year-old McConnell was asked about running for reelection in 2026 when he stopped speaking and stared forward. An aide came to his side to repeat the question before telling reporters he needed a moment.

“Leader McConnell felt momentarily lightheaded and paused during his press conference today,” McConnell's spokesperson said shortly after the Kentucky senator froze on Wednesday. An aide added, "While he feels fine, as a prudential measure, the Leader will be consulting a physician prior to his next event."

The latest freezing incident came roughly one month after a similar moment in which McConnell stopped speaking mid-sentence during a July press conference.

Related: Mitch McConnell Says He's 'Fine' After Freezing Mid-Press Conference, Being Ushered Away

In the first incident, McConnell's colleagues surrounded him, asking if he wanted to go back to his office. The minority leader turned away from the podium and stood nearby while others took the microphone.

Eventually, McConnell returned to the podium, where he answered questions about what had just occurred.

"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?" one reporter asked — a reference to the Republican falling in March.

"I'm fine," McConnell responded.

When the reporter then asked, "You're fine? You're fully able to do your job?" McConnell responded: "Yeah."

McConnell spent nearly five days at a hospital after taking a fall during an event at the Waldorf Astoria hotel at Washington, D.C. in March.

A spokesperson said at the time that McConnell's medical team discovered a minor rib fracture, along with a concussion that caused him to remain in the hospital "for a few days of observation and treatment."

A report from CNN claims the Kentucky Republican has taken at least three falls in recent months, including the fall in March. One of the other falls allegedly took place in February in Finland, during a trip with a U.S. delegation to meet with the Finnish president in Helsinki.

McConnell also tripped and fell in July, according to CNN, while he was getting off a plane at Reagan National Airport in Washington, D.C. The outlet said he returned to the Capitol to resume work the same day.

Related: Mitch McConnell Suffered Previously Undisclosed Falls Prior to Freezing Incident on Camera: Report

CNN's chief medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta earlier weighed in on what he called "a neurological event" that occurred during McConnell's July press briefing, saying, "It was definitely concerning to watch. I mean, I think his doctors will be looking at that tape and sort of, you know, trying to figure out what happened there. He needs to get checked out, I think that’s really the bottom line.”

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In November, McConnell defeated Florida Sen. Rick Scott in the GOP's leadership election, making him the caucus's longest-serving leader since 2007.

McConnell's current term is slated to end in 2027.

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