Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell appeared to freeze for about 30 seconds on Wednesday while speaking with reporters after a speech in Covington, Kentucky.

The incident is similar to an episode McConnell experienced at the US Capitol late last month and is likely to raise additional questions about the fitness of the 81-year-old to lead the Senate Republican caucus.

Wednesday’s episode occurred when a reporter asked the Republican leader if he was planning to run for reelection in 2026. McConnell had to ask him to repeat the question several times, chuckled for a moment, and then paused.

Someone at his side then asked him, “Did you hear the question, senator, running for reelection in 2026?” McConnell did not respond.

Article includes video of the incident.

  • empireOfLove@lemmy.one
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    1 year ago

    Sounds kind of like when my maternal grandma had a series of micro strokes for a few months before having the Big One.

    Time to retire, Mitch. For both our sakes.

    • flipht@kbin.social
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      Its either happening frequently and just happens to have been caught on camera twice, or it could instead be related to hearing well enough to understand.

      My grandparents were like this. Even if they could hear you, a lot of times it seemed out of context to them because they missed some other important piece.

      • grabyourmotherskeys@lemmy.world
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        1 year ago

        The people handling him knew exactly what was going on there. This happens all the time, I’m guessing.

        Source: youngest grandchild of a huge family.

      • Jordan Lund@lemmy.one
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        1 year ago

        You’d think if it were a hearing issue he would just say “Could you repeat the question?” and not stand there like a deer in headlights.

        🦌💡💡

      • Spendrill@lemm.ee
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        1 year ago

        Schrödinger’s McConnell: competent enough to lead the Republicans in Senate, not competent enough to answer questions about Trump under oath.

      • captainlezbian@lemmy.world
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        1 year ago

        Yeah idk if auditory processing goes with age but you can also have delays from that.

        That said if this were that you’d think he’d get hearing aids after the last one

    • agent_flounder@lemmy.one
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      1 year ago

      All these old fossils need to GTFO. Him, Feinstein, all of em.

      But McConnell in particular has royally fucked this country. No member of Congress should have that much power. But he used it quite effectively for his own ends. So fuck him

    • MrsDoyle@sh.itjust.works
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      1 year ago

      My sister’s absence seizures turned out to be stage four brain cancer. I know he’s an arsehole, but doesn’t he have anyone looking out for him? At all? He needs help.

    • DragonTypeWyvern
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      1 year ago

      Nah.

      Have him die as he lived, peddling lies and attacking democracy.

    • BoofStroke@lemm.ee
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      1 year ago

      I’m good with him staying on in a state where he can’t fuck us over more. My worry is who then pulls the puppet strings.

  • Sterile_Technique@lemmy.world
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    1 year ago

    May he receive thoughts and prayers. And no other form of healthcare or support.

    The world will become a slightly better place when he finally dies.

    • afraid_of_zombies@lemmy.world
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      1 year ago

      Satan keeps sending him back. He doesn’t want him either. Also he feels he has done his part by taking Pat Robertson a few months ago.

  • kescusay@lemmy.world
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    1 year ago

    That is hard to watch. I hate his guts and everything he’s done and stood for in politics, but it’s still rough to watch a man just fade away like that.

    He needs to retire and stop clinging desperately to power. The stress of it alone is probably literally killing him.

    Edit: Just so we’re clear, here, I’m not offering him sympathy. I have none to give for a monster like Mitch McConnell. The man has done enormous damage to the country, and people like him are why I worry about the future for my kids (both LGBTQ+).

    I was only trying to express that on a gut level, it’s still unpleasant to see someone basically drain away like that.

    • DoucheBagMcSwag@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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      He lost all potential sympathy from me when he denied Garland and rammed in Barett during an election year before RBG was fucking cold in the ground. That decision and denial of representation has made shockwaves of regression in terms of civil rights, voting rights, women’s bodily autonomy and LGBTQ rights …and that’s what we have gone backward in…so far (birth control and gay marriage being illegal again is coming) and we will feel these effects for several decades way after he’s gone.

      tots and fucking pears, goddamn ghoul.

    • Talkurt@reddthat.com
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      1 year ago

      I feel the same. Terrible human being. But taking joy in the suffering of others is not something I will do.

      • afraid_of_zombies@lemmy.world
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        Don’t worry, I will take enough joy for us both. There is no hell, he is going to the same dirt we all are. If I want to feel a bit glad that one less terrible human is around causing problems I won’t feel bad about about feeling bad. Humanity as a whole will be better off the faster he dies. My feelings won’t change when that event happens and express an honest evaluation of the situation.

        Every single teenager girl in America trying to abort her incest fetus with a metal hanger is because of that fucker.

      • Chthonic@slrpnk.net
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        1 year ago

        Don’t worry I’ll have your share, get fucked Mitch.

        I know McConnell is just a lightning rod for hate for the GOP and as soon as he’s gone some other amoral, sociopathic mercenary will take his place, but damn if he’s not just the worst.

    • afraid_of_zombies@lemmy.world
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      Umm what stress? No really I am asking. There is no realistic scenario where he will have to choose between medicine or food, face homelessness, have his career destroyed, or really any major setbacks. Also he is probably a psychopath so even if some relative of his gets killed it isn’t going to impact him.

      I am a regular middle class family man. It would take nearly nothing to destroy everything I have. One dark spot on an x-ray, one bad car accident, me and my wife both losing our jobs at once, a kitchen fire. The Turtle’s wealth, pension, power, and lack of emotional attachments means he is shielded from everything. How can someone who can’t lose anything be worried about anything?

      The very worst thing that could happen to him is his party doesn’t have as much power. Which isn’t even really a thing on him, it is on the vile ideas that he has.

    • Navarian@lemm.ee
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      1 year ago

      Exactly this ^

      The insane vitriol of some people on here, wishing death to this man, rejoicing in very obvious cognitive decline, it’s harrowing.

      The policy this man has supported and even pioneered is horrific, and frankly he should never have been allowed to push that shit nor would I ever support it, but you can bet your fucking ass I’m not going to be sat here laughing about an old man in clear mental distress or wishing death on him, because I’m not a piece of shit and I actually have some form of morality.

      • captainlezbian@lemmy.world
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        1 year ago

        I want him to stop hurting people. If that means voluntary retirement that’s cool. If it means dropping dead or becoming too disabled to continue that’s still preferable to him continuing to hurt people. I wish him a long retirement, specifically I hope it’s the rest of his life long.

        • SmoothIsFast@citizensgaming.com
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          Na I hope he has a very painful and suffering filled decline full of mockery so shitstains like him understand they will reap what they sow. Treat them like anything other than that and you create a system that is ripe for abuse as we see today. Enough following the bullshit rules of power that allow corrupt greedy narcissists to remain in power because we should treat them kindly even though they are not treating others the same. That just rewards corruption and abuses of power, and I do not fuck with fascists.

      • dual_sport_dork 🐧🗡️@lemmy.world
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        1 year ago

        Don’t worry, though, if the tables were turned Mitch himself would gladly cackle to himself knowing that some policy he enacted resulted in your suffering, so long as it earned him a buck in the process.

        Fuck him. Right in the ear. With a pineapple. On a drill.

        • SmoothIsFast@citizensgaming.com
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          Honestly fuck the dude above acting like it’s some superior morals to coddle a scumbag. That’s how you reinforce their behavior and teach generations that being a corrupt piece of shit has no downsides, as everyone has to be nice to them anyway. It’s a lie that keeps masses from revolting against corrupt politicians/rulers/governments etc. Fuck that shit let’s remind those at the top its us at the bottom who support their little lavish lifestyles and can take it away in a damn instance.

      • TheMauveAvenger@lemmy.world
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        1 year ago

        Utilitarian moral theory is an entire field of ethical philosophy, even if you don’t agree with it. Someone who believes strongly in this could argue that we should have actually killed Mitch decades ago to prevent all of the pain, suffering, and death that he has wrought on this world.

        I think what you meant to say is that you have some form of feeling morally superior.

        • afraid_of_zombies@lemmy.world
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          I don’t believe in utilitarian morality. They have no means to calculate, never solved the utility monster problem, it is a single value virtue system, and it ignores how humans work. Especially the last point, if morality doesn’t help humans live a better life it serves no purpose.

        • Cylusthevirus@kbin.social
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          There is nothing utilitarian about taking ghoulish delight in the suffering of an evil old man.

          He’s falling apart and you’re enjoying it because you hate him. At least be honest with yourself.

      • SmoothIsFast@citizensgaming.com
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        For fucks sake, it’s not some superior morals to allow a corrupt abuser to die or suffer for the agony they caused. It’s a lie to keep a power systems masses docile and in check. It’s even worse morals to know what this guy does and hope for the best for him instead of him dropping dead. Fuck that, and fuck all this shit that allows corruption to remain unfettered because oh we need to be kind to the fascist narcissistic egotists or what we have to deal with them like we always have. You should be aware of how they act and be ready to address that shit from day one when it’s called out. We know we need chemo to kill a tumor why the fuck are we acting like we should be feeding it and nurturing these shit stains who are actively cannibalizing the human races ability to survive over greed. Cut the tumor out or fucking irradiate it to death. Any fucking fascist peice of shit should be getting the same treatment. You don’t want to be mocked and laughed at as you die in old age? Well than start by giving a fuck about others first and maybe we will return the favor. I treat others based on how they treat others, fuck around like a shit stain get laughed at and paraded around like the shit stain you are.

  • InvaderDJ@lemmy.world
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    1 year ago

    Everyone in elected office over the age of 65 should be forced to retire. At best, they’ve done their duty and deserve to rest and enjoy the fruits of their labor. At worst, they’re nonfunctional skeletons that don’t even have skin in the game when it comes to government.

  • dusty@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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    1 year ago

    This is why we shouldn’t have old people rule a country, not only do they make decisions that only benefit them in the short term they’re also incapable of just talking in public