US Senator freezes during press conference, returns to say "I'm fine"

Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell left his press conference on Wednesday after he appeared to freeze up and stared vacantly before his colleagues in the Republican leadership took him back to his office.

McConnell approached the podium for his weekly press conference on the annual defence bill, which he said was proceeding with “good bipartisan cooperation.” But he then appeared to stare vacantly for a few seconds.
 

After sitting down in his office for several minutes, McConnell returned to the press conference and said he was “fine". When asked if he is still able to do his job, he said, “Yeah”.

He told the press that President Joe Biden had called him. “The president called to check up on me, and I told him I got sandbagged,” McConnell said.

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After McConnell's conference ended, Wyoming Senator John Barrasso said, “I was concerned when he fell and hit his head a number of months ago and was hospitalised. And I think he’s made a remarkable recovery, he’s doing a great job leading our conference and was able to answer every question the press asked him today.”

First elected to the Senate in 1984, McConnell became the longest-serving Senate party leader in US history in January.

In March this year, McConnell, 81, was out of the Senate for six weeks after he fell and hit his head after a dinner event in a hotel. He was hospitalised for several days, and his office later said he suffered a concussion and fractured a rib.

In February 2003, McConnell underwent a triple heart bypass surgery in relation to blocked arteries at Maryland, US.