Mitch McConnell's health questioned again as he pauses for seven seconds during press conference

The health of Sen. Mitch McConnell, the 81-year-old Republican leader, has been questioned again after he paused for seven seconds during a press conference on Wednesday.

McConnell was in Kentucky for an event and was asked if he would run for reelection in 2026. He seemed to start an answer but then stopped and remained silent for a while.

This was not the first time that McConnell had a similar incident. In July, he also froze for about 28 seconds while speaking at the U.S. Capitol and had to be helped by his fellow Republicans.

A McConnell aide, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, told USA TODAY that the senator will see a doctor before his next appearance. The aide did not answer any questions about the cause of McConnell’s freezing or what medical advice or diagnosis he had received before.

McConnell had no problem speaking earlier in the day, when he talked about the possibility of a government shutdown and a short-term spending deal.

President Joe Biden, who heard about the incident shortly before giving a speech on the federal response to Hurricane Idalia, said he would contact McConnell.

The Republican leader has had some health issues this year. He was hospitalized in March after he broke a rib and suffered a concussion from falling at a hotel in Washington.

He also fell two more times this year once at an airport in Washington, D.C., on July 14 and another time during a foreign trip in February, according to an insider close to the senator who knows his work habits. USA TODAY confirmed this with the source.

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A McConnell spokesperson declined to comment on the falls but said that the GOP leader has still been walking around the Capitol for the past few months, delivering speeches and leading media events. He has been using a wheelchair sometimes as a precaution in crowded areas.

“This is simply a prudent and precautionary measure in a crowded area,” the McConnell spokesperson told late last month.

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