South Dakota Republican Sen. Mike Rounds has no doubt that Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell is capable of performing his duties, despite two recent instances in which he appeared to lock up while speaking to the media.
In July, while speaking with reporters in Washington, McConnell paused mid-sentence and remained so for approximately 20 seconds.
Flag: McConnell just stopped abruptly during his opening statement during the gop leadership presser and appeared to be unable to restart talking. He then stepped away and walked away with Barrasso: pic.twitter.com/f1kFUjggzm
— Frank Thorp V (@frankthorp) July 26, 2023
Last month, it happened again:
BREAKING: Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell appears to FREEZE again while taking questions. pic.twitter.com/MVZNsuq838
— Charlie Kirk (@charliekirk11) August 30, 2023
The incidents have led to speculation that the 81-year-old Kentucky senator might be suffering from a serious medical condition.
The attending physician for members of Congress and the Supreme Court, Dr. Brian Monahan, stated on Tuesday that McConnell’s difficulties are not the result of a stroke or epilepsy.
“There is no evidence that you have a seizure disorder or that you experienced a stroke, TIA [transient ischaemic attack, or ministroke] or movement disorder such as Parkinson’s disease,” Monahan wrote in a letter obtained by CNN.
News — New health update on Mitch McConnell, released by his office pic.twitter.com/yht2Nio0w8
— Manu Raju (@mkraju) September 5, 2023
ABC News reported that McConnell experienced an accident at his Kentucky residence in March and sustained a concussion and rib fracture.
Despite these issues and rumors that the senator may be suffering from a serious illness, Rounds stated on Sunday that he believes McConnell is up to the task of guiding Senate Republicans.
He stated on CNN’s “State of the Union” that he and McConnell had spoken on Saturday afternoon.
Rounds stated, “There’s no doubt in my mind that he is perfectly capable of continuing on at this stage of the game.”
More on this story via The Western Journal:
“And he’s got a good team around him,” the senator added. “He’s done a good job of developing that leadership team.”
The South Dakota Republican said the minority leader’s momentary lapses in communication are a result of the concussion.
Rounds said McConnell had told him the fall would result in some lingering issues. CONTINUE READING…