On December 13, 2024, the United States Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell was absent from the Senate meeting on Thursday, December 12. His office stated that McConnell was working from home due to stiffness in his legs after falling in Congress on the 10th and being taken to the hospital.
McConnell tripped outside a Republican luncheon on Tuesday, December 10, sustaining minor cuts on his face and spraining his wrist. However, after receiving treatment, he was quickly cleared to return to Congress to continue his work.
On that day, McConnell’s successor, Senate Republican Whip John Thune, presided over the Republican leader’s press conference in McConnell’s absence. Thune mentioned that the 82-year-old Republican leader’s condition was stable after the fall.
Nevertheless, McConnell’s office issued a statement on Thursday, indicating that McConnell still needed rest. Due to stiffness in his legs from the fall, he would temporarily work from home.
McConnell’s health issues have long been a concern for the public. He suffered from polio in his youth, admitting to facing difficulties in walking and climbing stairs in adulthood.
In March 2023, McConnell experienced a minor concussion after falling at a downtown hotel, leading to him taking several weeks off for recovery. Upon returning to Congress, he had two episodes of “freezing” at press conferences during that summer, where he would stare blankly ahead until colleagues and staff came to assist.
In 2019, McConnell fell at his home in Kentucky, resulting in a broken shoulder bone.
Having served in the Senate for forty years, with nearly twenty years as the Republican leader, McConnell announced his plan to step down from the leadership position at the year’s end but would remain in the Senate, taking on the role as the Chairman of the Senate Rules Committee.
Senator John Thune from South Dakota was elected as the next Senate leader last month.