Topline
Neurologists cast doubt on the explanation from Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell’s aides and a congressional doctor that he simply felt light-headed when he froze briefly during two recent press conferences, with seven telling the New York Times the episodes instead appeared to be mini-seizures.
Sen. John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) reaches out to help Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) when … [+]
Key Facts
Seven neurologists who viewed videos of McConnell freezing on Wednesday and in July told the Times they appeared to show more serious medical episodes, and several suggested possible mini-strokes or more likely, focal seizures.
McConnell, 81, stopped speaking and moving for approximately 30 seconds as he began to answer a reporter’s question during a press conference in Kentucky Wednesday, following a similar incident at the Capitol in July, when he froze in front of reporters for about 19 seconds.
McConnell’s aides quickly moved to explain both incidents as bouts of “lightheadedness,” and congressional doctor Brian Monahan, who said he conferred with McConnell’s neurology team on Thursday, backed that up, explaining that the spells could be a by-product of a concussion McConnell incurred when he fell at a Washington hotel in March—an explanation echoed by President Joe Biden on Thursday.
One of the doctors interviewed by the Times, NYU neurology professor Orrin Devinksy, pointedly told the paper: “If I gave that tape to a medical student and [lightheadedness or possible dehydration] was his explanation, I’d fail him,” adding that “medically, these episodes need to be taken seriously.”
The doctors reportedly said neither mini-strokes nor focal seizures would prevent McConnell from working, and UCLA neurology professor Dr. Jeffrey Saver told the Times the episodes could be controlled with medication, though other experts warned that older patients, like McConnell, could experience more severe behavior or cognitive issues from mini-strokes or seizures.
Following McConnell’s first episode, doctors similarly speculated that it may have been a small seizure or brief stroke, but left open the possibility that the incident was the result of dehydration or a migraine.
Crucial Quote
The videos of McConnell are “very helpful, because you’re not subject to the vagaries of someone’s description and you can capture the beginning of it, which is important especially for seizures,” University of California at San Francisco neurology professor Dr. Anthony Kim told the Times, adding that McConnell’s sudden pause in speaking and gazing into the distance, along with the length of the episode and its similarity to the July incident, pointed to seizures.
Key Background
McConnell’s health issues have amplified discussions surrounding elderly lawmakers as several—including President Joe Biden and Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.)—have appeared to exhibit signs of aging in public that have raised questions about their fitness to serve. McConnell’s recent spells have reportedly prompted talks among some GOP senators about whether he should continue serving as Republican Senate leader, and the conservative National Review on Thursday called for him to step aside. The episodes are among a series of health issues McConnell has experienced this year, including the March fall that left him with a broken rib and caused a six-week absence from the Senate. He has reportedly fallen at least two other times this year—in Finland in February and at Reagan National Airport in July.
What To Watch For
McConnell’s successor would likely be one of three of his staunchest allies, Senate Whip John Thune (S.D.), former Senate Whip John Cornyn (Tex.) or GOP Conference Chair John Barrasso (Wyo.), known as the “three Johns” on Capitol Hill. McConnell called to reassure them following Wednesday’s episode, Politico reported. In a display of deference, few senators have publicly discussed McConnell’s health and none have called for him to step aside. Thune’s spokesperson Ryan Wrasse told Politico McConnell “sounded like his usual self and was in good spirits” when they spoke Wednesday.
Further Reading
McConnell Freezes–Again–At Press Conference Amid Questions Over Health (Forbes)
McConnell’s Abrupt Freeze-Up Could’ve Been A Seizure Or Stroke—Or Just Dehydration, Experts Say (Forbes)
Capitol Doctor Calls McConnell ‘Medically Clear’ And Biden Defends Him After Latest Freeze-Up—As Calls For Resignation Grow (Forbes)
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/saradorn/2023/09/01/neurologists-suggest-mcconnell-suffered-seizures-disputing-lightheadedness-claims-report-says/