Outgoing Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell fell during a Senate luncheon on Tuesday.
McConnell, 82, is the outgoing Senate Republican leader and has suffered a series of health problems in recent years, including several falls.
Medical personnel using wheelchairs were called in to assist after the senator fell during lunch. According to reports, he also has a cut on his face.
Senator John Barrasso, the incoming whip, told DailyMail.com that McConnell is “fine.”
McConnell suffered several health problems after a fall last year, leading to bizarre “freeze episodes” that raised concerns.
McConnell was the longest-serving Republican leader in Senate history, serving about 18 years.
But his years-long feud with Trump put him at odds with many in the Republican party who wanted a MAGA leader to enter the newly elected president’s second term.
Earlier this year, he shocked colleagues by announcing he would step down from the leadership role.
Outgoing Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell fell during a Senate luncheon on Tuesday
Earlier this year, McConnell shocked his colleagues by announcing he would be stepping down from his leadership role
McConnell fell several times in the weeks before he froze for 20 seconds at the Capitol in July 2023 and had to be helped by his colleagues.
He had planted his face as he stepped off a plane at Washington’s Reagan Airport, leading to a series of incidents that raised concerns about his health.
McConnell joked about his worrying pause and insisted he was fine, but his office had not confirmed what caused the episode.
In addition to the plane incident, McConnell suffered two more falls in 2023, one of which resulted in a concussion.
There was also widespread speculation as to whether he was neurologically affected by the leaks.
As he announced his plans to step down from leadership, he said it had been an “extremely difficult” time for his family after his sister-in-law Angela Chao drowned at her Texas estate in February.
“Last week I turned 82, the end of my contributions is closer than I would like,” he continued on the floor.
“If you had told me 40 years later that I would be standing before you as the longest-serving Senate leader in American history, quite frankly, I would have told you you were out of your mind,” a very emotional McConnell said in a lighthearted manner. moment.
The Minority Leader, a polio survivor, made light of recent health problems on Wednesday, telling President Joe Biden that he too was sandbagged after being frozen halfway through his sentence.
“One of life’s most underrated talents is knowing when it’s time to move on to the next chapter of life,” McConnell continued.
“So today I stand before you to say that this will be my last term as Republican leader of the Senate.”
He said he is “not going anywhere anytime soon” and will remain a U.S. senator despite stepping down from leadership.
He will be eligible for re-election in two years’ time in 2026.
Last month, Sen. John Thune, 63, was chosen to replace McConnell and usher in Donald Trump’s ambitious agenda with a new Republican majority.
The leaders of Thune, South Dakota, are joined by assistant majority leaders: John Barrasso, Wyoming, Conference Chairman Tom Cotton, Arkansas, Policy Committee Chairman Shelly Moore Capito, West Virginia, and Conference Vice Chairman: James Lankford , Okla.
Reports suggest McConnell has fallen at least three times this year – and other questions about his neurological condition arise after he froze during his press conference
Last month, Senator John Thune, 63, was chosen to replace McConnell and usher in Donald Trump’s ambitious agenda with a new Republican majority
The new chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) is Senator Tim Scott of South Carolina, who will lead the Republicans in the 2026 midterm elections.
Thune and Trump have had a complicated relationship over the years, and many in the president-elect’s inner circle did not want him to lead the MAGA agenda.
He called on Trump to quit the 2016 presidential race after the infamous Access Hollywood tape was leaked and was critical of his alleged efforts to overturn the 2020 election results.
But in recent months, Thune has made his support for Trump known, including being one of the first to endorse him during the primaries, and the two have a better relationship. They reportedly spoke on the phone after his win Wednesday.
Their communications will be critical as Thune will be tasked with shepherding all of Trump’s Cabinet picks through the Senate confirmation process.