McConnell Suffered Concussion After D.C. Fall—Will Stay Hospitalized A ‘Few’ Days, Spokesman Says

Topline

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) suffered a concussion during a fall at a D.C. hotel Wednesday night that will require him to remain in the hospital “for a few days of observation and treatment,” spokesman David Popp said in an update early Thursday afternoon, though it remains unclear how long the 81-year-old might remain absent from the narrowly divided Senate.

Key Facts

McConnell tripped during a private dinner for the Senate Leadership Fund super PAC at the Waldorf Astoria hotel, according to multiple reports, and his initial condition was unclear.

Even Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.)—the next highest-ranking Senate Republican—told CNN late Thursday morning that he was unaware of McConnell’s injuries, saying, “I have not talked to him directly.”

The longtime Senator has received a bipartisan outpouring of support from well-wishers, including Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), who wished for a “speedy and full recovery” in his opening address on the Senate floor Thursday.

Key Background

McConnell joins a growing list of senators that are out due to health issues. Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.) has been out for weeks due to “severe” depression, leading to a continued hospital stay at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, while Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) said Tuesday she was released from the hospital following a stay for shingles. Feinstein, 89, has said she hopes to return to the Senate this month, while Fetterman’s return date is still unclear, though his office has said he is making progress. The absences are significant in a Senate divided 51-49 between Democrats and Republicans, with Vice President Kamala Harris casting multiple tie-breaking votes in recent weeks.

Tangent

McConnell received surgery in 2019 after fracturing his shoulder during a fall at his home in Kentucky. The senator also still suffers lingering issues from a childhood bout with polio in the 1940s, which he says makes it difficult to climb stairs.

Further Reading

Sen. Mitch McConnell Hospitalized After Fall At D.C. Hotel (Forbes)

Sen. Fetterman Hospitalized For ‘Severe’ Depression (Forbes)

Sen. Feinstein Hospitalized With Shingles—Straining Democrats’ Narrow Majority (Forbes)