Mitch McConnell Answers Retirement Question in First News Conference Since Freezing Incident

By Ben Kew September 6, 2023 at 4:33pm

Mitch McConnell isn’t going anywhere — at least for now.

The Senate minority leader said at a news conference on Wednesday that he has no plans to step down before January 2027 when his term officially ends.

“I have no announcements to make on that subject,” the 81-year-old McConnell said when asked about his potential retirement.

“I’m going to finish my term as leader and I’m going to finish my Senate term.”

“I’m going to finish my term as leader. And I’m going to finish my Senate term.”

— Mitch McConnell @LeaderMcConnell pic.twitter.com/WI5tLZUPcT

— Howard Mortman (@HowardMortman) September 6, 2023

The news conference was the first since two incidents in which McConnell appeared to freeze up in public, according to The Washington Times.

Back in March, McConnell also suffered a concussion after a fall.

Nevertheless, he has been cleared to work by the Capitol’s attending physician, Dr. Brian Monahan, who this week released a report saying that McConnell had not suffered from a stroke, seizure or movement disorder.

“I think Dr. Monahan covered the subject fully,” McConnell said of the report, according to Axios. “I don’t have anything to add to it.”

McConnell has been the top-ranking Republican senator since 2007, making him the longest-serving leader in the history of the Senate.

While his authority has seldom been challenged, his recent health issues have fueled calls for him to resign.

Among those speculating about his freezing incidents is Sen. Rand Paul, himself a physician, who pushed back against Monahan’s claim that McConnell had merely been suffering from dehydration.

“I think it’s an inadequate explanation to say this is dehydration,” Paul stated.

“I’ve practiced medicine for 25 years, and it doesn’t look like dehydration to me. It looks like a focal neurologic event. That doesn’t mean it’s incapacitating. It doesn’t mean he can’t serve.

“But it means that somebody ought to wake up and say, ‘Wow! This looks like a seizure.’”

BREAKING NEWS: Sen. Mitch McConnell appearing to have another scary episode in the media gaggle in Covington today. Aides had to step in to help him out and repeat questions. He was eventually lead away. We’ll have the full video on @WLWT pic.twitter.com/q9ex5MHxLV

— Hannah Thomas (@HannahPThomas) August 30, 2023

The average age of the U.S. Senate is currently the oldest in history.

Its oldest member is Dianne Feinstein, a 90-year-old Democrat from California, while Iowa Republican Chuck Grassley will celebrate his 90th birthday later this month.

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