Doctor gives Mitch McConnell, 81, medical clearance to continue working after second freeze — while Biden defends his ‘friend’ and dismisses claims Senate Minority Leader is not up to the job
- The Capitol physician cleared Mitch McConnell to continue his normal schedule
- It comes just 24 hours after McConnell’s 30-second freeze on Wednesday
Mitch McConnell has been medically cleared to continue working despite his second freeze in a month because he fears he is no longer fit to continue serving as Republican Senate leader.
The 81-year-old consulted Capitol physician Dr. Brian Monahan after the worrying incident, according to a Thursday press release in which the doctor said McConnell is “medically cleared” to continue his usual work.
Dr. Monahan said it’s normal to experience dizziness while recovering from a concussion. He also said the episode could be attributed to dehydration.
The very quick clarity comes as reports emerge that a handful of Republican senators are discussing holding a rally amid McConnell’s declining health. It does not appear that the party leadership is involved in these alleged talks.
At least a dozen GOP offices, when reached by DailyMail.com, said they were not aware of any meetings on the subject.
President Joe Biden said Thursday he has spoken to his “friend” after the latest public freeze.
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell froze for about 30 seconds on Wednesday as he answered questions from reporters in Kentucky in another disturbing on-camera appearance, amplifying concerns about his age, health and eligibility for office
“On the phone he was the old one,” said 80-year-old Biden. “It’s not at all unusual to get the kind of reaction that sometimes happens to Mitch when you’ve had a bad concussion.”
McConnell fell and hit his head in March while at the Waldorf Astoria in Washington DC. That fall led to a hospitalization where he was diagnosed with a concussion and broken ribs.
The Kentucky Republican’s recovery lasted six weeks that fall.
Since then, he has twice experienced a freeze during press conferences where he needed help to be led away from the stage.
“I consulted with Leader McConnell and consulted with his neurology team,” said Dr. Monahan in the statement indicating that he had not conducted his own evaluation of McConnell.
He added, “I have informed Leader McConnell that he is medically safe to continue with his schedule as planned.”
The first fall occurred in late July, when McConnell spoke to other lawmakers at a press conference outside the Senate chamber. He was asked about his future plans before he froze for several seconds without speaking.
Now, just over a month later, an eerily similar situation unfolded in Covington, Kentucky, when a reporter asked McConnell if he planned to run for re-election in 2026 — leading to a nearly 30-second freeze, with an assistant stepping in to ask people to “speak up.”