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WASHINGTON: Top US Senate Republican Mitch McConnell froze up for more than 30 seconds on Wednesday during a public appearance before he was escorted away, the second such incident in a month.
McConnell, 81, was replying to questions from reporters after an event with the Northern Kentucky Chamber of Commerce in Covington when he froze up, staring into space and not responding to reporters and others nearby.
After being approached by a second person, McConnell resumed speaking but needed reporters’ questions repeated to him and only answered two more questions. The longest-serving Senate party leader in history, McConnell’s voice was shaky and quiet.
He declined to say whether he would support former president Donald Trump as the Republican nominee for president before walking away with a staffer.
A McConnell aide said the senator would be consulting a physician before his next public event. The Senate is due to reconvene next week after a more-than-month-long summer recess.
“Leader McConnell felt momentarily light-headed and paused during his press conference today,” McConnell’s spokesperson said.
The incident was similar to one that took place in the US Capitol on July 26, when McConnell froze in the middle of a press conference and had to be led away, returning several minutes later to finish taking questions.