McConnell remains in hospital after concussion
WASHINGTON — Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell suffered a concussion after a fall at a local hotel and remains hospitalized “for a few days of observation and treatment,” a spokesman said Thursday.
The Kentucky senator, 81, was at a Wednesday evening dinner for the Senate Leadership Fund, a campaign committee aligned with him, when he tripped and fell. The dinner was at the Waldorf Astoria Washington D.C., formerly the Trump International Hotel.
Spokesman David Popp said Mr. McConnell is being treated for a concussion and “is grateful to the medical professionals for their care and to his colleagues for their warm wishes.” Mr. McConnell’s office did not provide additional detail on his condition or how long he may be absent from the Senate.
Senators leaving a Republican conference lunch on Thursday said that that Mr. McConnell’s staff had given them an update during the meeting. Utah Sen. Mitt Romney said they were told that “he’s doing well, feels fine, but had a concussion.”
President Joe Biden tweeted that he wishes Mr. McConnell a “speedy recovery” and looks forward to seeing him back on the Senate floor.
Mr. Romney predicted that Mr. McConnell would stay in the hospital over the weekend and return to the Senate next week.
But concussions can be serious injuries and take time for recovery. Many professional sporting associations have focused on the dangers of repetitive head injuries. Even a single incident of concussion can limit a person’s abilities as they recover.
In 2019, the GOP leader tripped and fell at his home in Kentucky, suffering a shoulder fracture that required surgery. The Senate had just started a summer recess, and he worked from home for some weeks as he recovered.
First elected in 1984, Mr. McConnell in January became the longest-serving Senate leader when the new Congress convened, breaking the previous record of 16 years.
The taciturn Mr. McConnell is often reluctant to discuss his private life. But at the start of the COVID-19 crisis he opened up about his early childhood experience fighting polio. He described how his mother insisted that he stay off his feet as a toddler and worked with him through a determined physical therapy regime. He has acknowledged some difficulty in adulthood climbing stairs.
The Senate, where the average age is 65, has been without several members recently due to illness.