By Katherine Tinsley
3:28pm PST, Feb 5, 2025
Correspondent Chad Pergram shared the news on X, formerly known as Twitter.
"Fox confirms. McConnell falls down Senate stairs after voting to confirm Scott Turner as HUD Secretary," Pergram wrote on Wednesday, February 5.
"Unclear about injuries," he added. "But Fox is told he appears to be ok. McConnell was helped up by Sens. Steve Daines (R-MT) and Markwayne Mullin (R-OK)."
McConnell, who contracted polio during his childhood, fell due to his history with the virus.
"Senator McConnell is fine. The lingering effects of polio in his left leg will not disrupt his regular schedule of work," McConnell's spokesperson revealed.
Despite being okay, McConnell was seen in a wheelchair afterward.
This wouldn't be the first time the politician lost his balance, as he's had several public accidents.
"Leader McConnell tripped following lunch. He sustained a minor cut to the face and sprained his wrist," a rep said back in December 2024. "He has been cleared to resume his schedule."
During the Senate Leadership Fund luncheon, McConnell ended up in the hospital after tumbling at the gathering.
"Leader McConnell tripped at a dinner event Wednesday evening and has been admitted to the hospital and is being treated for a concussion. He is expected to remain in the hospital for a few days of observation and treatment," his communications director said in a statement released in 2023.
"The Leader is grateful to the medical professionals for their care and to his colleagues for their warm wishes," they added, as the Kentucky Republican was treated for a concussion.
Voters have questioned McConnell's cognitive abilities for years after the Senator froze during a 2023 press conference.
"Good afternoon, everyone. We're on a path to finishing the NDAA (National Defense Authorization Act) this week, there's been good bipartisan cooperation and a string of," McConnell said at a press conference before losing his train of thought.
"You OK, Mitch?" John Barrasso asked before helping to get McConnell off camera. "Is there anything else you want to say or should we just go back to your office?"
CNN's Sanjay Gupta previously discussed McConnell's mannerisms.
"There's a long list of possibilities here," Gupta said. "I think what we saw was pretty concerning, and I think most people could see that."
"It was similar to what we saw in July where there's this freezing: the freezing of the speech, the freezing of the body, the tight grasping of the side of the lectern," the neurosurgeon noted.
