McConnell Addresses Freezing Incident, Vows to Finish Term

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) addressed concerns regarding his health and fitness after inexplicably freezing for a second time last week during a press conference. 

Key Quotes: McConnell told reporters on Wednesday he plans to “finish my term as leader and I’m going to finish my Senate term.” McConnell pointed to a letter released by the Capitol’s attending physician, Dr. Brian Monahan, determining McConnell did not suffer from a seizure or stroke. McConnel told reporters, “I don’t have anything to add to it and I think it should answer any reasonable question.” Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) pushed back on Monahan’s report, telling The Hill (Center bias), “The doctor said that they ruled out seizure disorder from an EEG. A normal EEG doesn’t rule out seizures… it is a medical mistake to say that someone doesn’t have a seizure disorder because they have a normal EEG.”

For Context: On two separate occasions since McConnell suffered a concussion in March, he has frozen during press conferences. After the recent incident, McConnell faced calls for his resignation from some right-rated voices, such as The National Review Editorial Board (Right Bias), which argued “the time has come for the Kentucky senator, after his long, impressive run, to make the decision to step aside from leadership.”

How the Media Covered It: Outlets across the spectrum covered McConnell’s statement and the calls for his resignation. HuffPost (Left bias) called McConnell “defiant.” The Washington Times (Lean Right bias) said McConnell “refused to give more details.”