Kentucky Sen. Mitch McConnell in wheelchair after fall outside Senate chamber

Justin Papp, CQ-Roll Call on Feb 5, 2025

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WASHINGTON — Sen. Mitch McConnell fell outside the Senate chamber Wednesday, the latest in a series of health scares for the former majority leader.

The 82-year-old Kentucky Republican, who stepped down from leadership at the end of the 118th Congress, was seen using a wheelchair Wednesday afternoon, which his office said was a “precautionary measure.”

“Senator McConnell is fine. The lingering effects of polio in his left leg will not disrupt his regular schedule of work,” a McConnell spokesperson said via email.

McConnell, who overcame polio as a child, has been dogged by questions about his age and health in recent years.

He sustained a minor cut to his face and a sprained wrist after a fall in December, though he was quickly cleared to return to his duties, his office said at the time. In March 2023, McConnell was hospitalized and treated for a concussion after tripping at a party. And he fended off questions about his ability to continue to serve as Republican Senate leader after a series of freezing events later that same year.

According to reports, McConnell fell on a set of stairs after exiting the Senate chamber following a confirmation vote on Scott Turner to be Housing and Urban Development secretary. McConnell reportedly fell a second time on Wednesday in a Senate lunch, though his office did not confirm the later incident.

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