Mitch McConnell freezes for second time during press event

For the 2nd clip successful conscionable implicit a month, Senate Republican person Mitch McConnell appeared to frost portion speaking to reporters.

At a property lawsuit successful Covington, Kentucky, the 81-year-old paused for much than 30 seconds erstwhile asked whether helium would tally for-re-election successful 2026.

Aides attempted to punctual the senator, but it took respective much seconds for Mr McConnell to recover.

He past answered 2 much questions, which had to beryllium repeated by staff.

He made nary comments astir his health, earlier leaving with aides.

"Leader McConnell felt momentarily lightheaded and paused during his property league today," a spokesperson said aft the incident.

A staffer aboriginal told the BBC's US spouse CBS News the lawmaker "feels fine" but "will beryllium consulting a doc anterior to his adjacent event".

Mr McConnell's archetypal verbal lapse occurred during a property league astatine the US Capitol successful Washington DC connected 26 July.

There, helium paused mid-sentence for astir 20 seconds, earlier being ushered distant by his chap Republican senators.

He aboriginal returned and told reporters helium was "fine" and had felt "lightheaded".

Mr McConnell, who leads the Republican party's constrictive number successful the precocious enclosure of Congress, was admitted to infirmary for a week aft suffering a concussion and a fractured rib pursuing a autumn extracurricular a Washington country edifice successful March.

He was transferred to a rehabilitation installation and did not instrumentality to the Senate until mid-April.

After the freezing incidental successful July, US media reported that Mr McConnell has endured astatine slightest 3 different falls since February.

This latest occurrence volition again rise questions astir the wellness of the Kentucky legislator heading into what volition beryllium a engaged autumn legislative session, arsenic Congress attempts to debar a partial authorities shutdown astatine the extremity of October.

An adjutant to Senator John Thune, Mr McConnell's lawman successful the chamber, told reporters they had spoken aft the incident. Mr McConnell "sounded similar his accustomed aforesaid and was successful bully spirits", Ryan Wrasse said.

"We person disagreements politically but he's a bully person and truthful I'm going to effort and get successful interaction with him aboriginal this afternoon," President Joe Biden said aboriginal connected Wednesday.

Concern implicit Mr McConnell's wellness follows questions astir the information of 90-year-old California Democratic Senator Dianne Feinstein, who was absent from the enclosure for months aft being diagnosed with a terrible lawsuit of shingles.

The mean property for members of the US Senate is 65.