Top Republican Mitch McConnell appears to freeze again, raising health concerns

globalnews.ca:

U.S. Senate, Mitch McConnell, appeared to freeze up and was unable to answer a question from a reporter at an event in his home state of Kentucky on Wednesday, the second such episode in just over a month.Video taken by other reporters at the event appeared to show the 81-year-old senator trailing off and staring straight ahead for about 10 seconds after he was asked whether he plans to run for re-election in 2026.

The apparent freeze-up came after he admitted he was having trouble hearing the question and asked the reporter to repeat it.A woman standing at the front of the room with McConnell asked him if he heard the question and repeated it to him, but McConnell still did not answer, the video showed.“We’re going to need a minute,” the woman then told the room, and she and a man tried to get McConnell to leave the podium. “I’m okay,” McConnell replied, and he stayed to answer two more questions — both of which were repeated by the woman at his side — but he appeared to have difficulty speaking.The woman then ended the news conference and McConnell left the room, walking slowly.McConnell, who was first elected to the Senate in 1985 and has served as the top Republican there since 2007, ultimately did not answer the question about whether he will seek another term.Wednesday’s episode in Covington, Ky., was similar to another incident at the U.S.