Insanity is not only in Biden: the Republican leader fell into a stupor

US Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell again froze for more than 30 seconds while speaking to reporters in his home state of Kentucky.

According to The Guardian, 81-year-old McConnell was eventually taken away by employees, which was captured on footage from the news affiliate NBC News.

When the aged politician was asked what he thought about running for re-election in 2026, McConnell laughed and said, “Oh, that…” Then he seemed to freeze.

An aide approached him and tried to help: “Did you hear the question, Senator? Will you run for re-election in 2026?”

McConnell didn’t answer. The assistant said, “Okay, I’m sorry to all of you, we’ll need a minute.” Another aide quietly exchanged a few words with the senator, who said, “Good.” The first mate asked another question, saying, “Please speak louder.”

The assistant repeated the questions loudly into McConnell’s ear. He gave quiet, stammering answers.

Responding to the question “This is a question about Trump”, McConnell said that he would not comment on the presidential race “neither from the Democrats nor from the Republicans.”

McConnell was then taken away by two aides, The Guardian writes, recalling that the incident came just over a month after McConnell appeared to have fallen into a stupor while talking to reporters at the US Capitol in Washington.

McConnell then returned to answer questions, saying he was “pelted with sandbags,” a reference to President Joe Biden, 80, after he tripped and fell at the US Air Force Academy in Colorado in June.

The Washington incident was followed by reports that McConnell suffered several falls, including one in March that left him with a concussion and a broken rib, keeping him away from Washington.

McConnell called South Dakota Senator John Toone, Senate Republican No. 2, who is being considered one of his potential successors, after Wednesday’s event. McConnell “spoke as usual and was in a good mood,” Tun spokesman Ryan Vrass said.

Wednesday’s pause came after McConnell had previously delivered a 20-minute speech at the event. During this part of the program, he felt more comfortable discussing the upcoming Senate meeting schedule and joking at one point that his job was like “cemetery gardening”: “Everyone obeys you, but no one listens.”

Elected to the Senate in 1984, McConnell became the Republican leader in 2006. Now the longest running Senate party leader in history, he has earned a reputation as a ruthless supporter of party operations, memorably describing himself as “stronger than mule piss” when it came to staffing the Supreme Court with conservative judges.

Aides said McConnell will remain as Republican leader until the end of his term in 2026. Had he left office before then, his temporary replacement would have been appointed by the Governor of Kentucky. Andy Beshear is a Democrat, but state law says he must select a candidate from a short list drawn up by the same party as the outgoing leader. Democrats hold 51-49 seats in the Senate, and vulnerable senators could be re-elected in Republican-run states next year.

Public incidents involving McConnell and other aging politicians, notably 90-year-old California Democratic Senator Dianne Feinstein, have fueled growing public opinion that too many party leaders and bigwigs are putting off retirement too long.

Biden was 78 when he took office, the oldest president in US history, and will be 86 by the end of his second term, if he wins re-election next year. The Guardian reported Tuesday that a new book on Biden’s presidency based on access to his trusted advisers says Biden often told aides he was “tired.”

After Wednesday’s incident in Kentucky, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Biden, a Delaware senator from 1973 to 2009, would wish McConnell well.

Biden later told reporters that he would try to contact his “good friend” and “wish him well.”

A spokesman for McConnell told reporters that the senator “felt dizzy for a moment” and would consult a doctor before his next event.

Dean Phillips, Democratic Congressman from Minnesota, said: “For God’s sake, Senators Feinstein and McConnell’s family, friends and staff are doing them and our country a huge disservice. It’s time to limit the terms of office for members of Congress and the Supreme Court and show basic human decency.”