President Joe Biden defended Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) following his freeze at a Kentucky press gaggle on Wednesday and said he expects McConnell “to get back to his old self.”
During his visit to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) headquarters in Washington, DC, on Thursday, a reporter asked Biden if he had spoken with McConnell.
“He’s a friend, and I spoke to him today, and, you know, he was his old self on the telephone,” Biden said. He noted McConnell’s concussion from earlier in the year, which sidelined him for nearly six weeks, and said the episode is “part of the recovery.”
WATCH: Joe Biden Speaks Up for Mitch McConnell
He explained:
And having a little understanding of dealing with neurosurgeons and people – one of the leading women on my staff, her husband’s a neurosurgeon as well – it’s not at all unusual to have the response that sometimes happens to Mitch when you’ve had a severe concussion. It’s part of the recovery. I’m confident he’s going to get back to his old self.
Asked if he had “concerns about [McConnell’s] ability to do his job,” Biden said, “I don’t.”
The incident occurred in Covington when McConnell was asked about seeking reelection in 2026. McConnell laughed briefly before going silent and staring into the distance for an extended period of time. He took another question on Kentucky’s Republican gubernatorial nominee, Daniel Cameron, and he slowly walked from the podium when the gaggle wrapped.
BREAKING NEWS: Sen. Mitch McConnell appearing to have another scary episode in the media gaggle in Covington today. Aides had to step in to help him out and repeat questions. He was eventually lead away. We'll have the full video on @WLWT pic.twitter.com/q9ex5MHxLV
— Hannah Thomas (@HannahPThomas) August 30, 2023
“Leader McConnell felt momentarily lightheaded and paused during his press conference today,” a spokesperson for McConnell said in a statement to Breitbart News Wednesday afternoon. An aide noted that he would consult a physician and said he feels fine.
His office on Thursday released a statement from Dr. Brian Monahan, the attending physician of Congress, clearing him to continue working, the New York Times noted.
“I have consulted with Leader McConnell and conferred with his neurology team,” Monahan wrote. “After evaluating yesterday’s incident, I have informed Leader McConnell that he is medically clear to continue with his schedule as planned.”
“Occasional lightheadedness is not uncommon in concussion recovery and can also be expected as a result of dehydration,” he added.
The freeze followed a similar moment during a press conference at the U.S. Capitol on July 26, when McConnell froze for more than 20 seconds and had to be helped from the podium. He later returned and told reporters he was “fine.”
WATCH: Mitch McConnell Freezes Mid-Speech, Led Away from Podium
C-SPANLater in the day, he joked to a reporter, “The president called to check on me. I told him I got sandbagged.” Biden had used the term after he tripped over a sandbag during June’s U.S. Air Force Academy commencement and fell.
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