A few days ago, Senator Mitch McConnell finally got wheeled out for his first public appearance in three full months. In his absence, McConnell’s office organized a blizzard of bizarre excuses , and they also released statements “from McConnell” and two proof-of-life photos. Throughout those three months, McConnell was still pulling his Senate paycheck and he was still receiving his full benefits, including healthcare, despite missing hundreds of votes. This week has been the first time he’s been on camera in any public way in three months, and whew, it’s really bad. Like, McConnell’s family and his Senate staffers must have had their backs against the wall if they’re letting him go out in public like this.
Mitch McConnell has been caught on camera freezing during a Senate committee meeting. On Wednesday, McConnell, 84, made his second appearance on Capitol Hill this week, after being hospitalized on June 14. During his three-month disappearance, during which McConnell remained on his full wage, his team released only two proof-of-life photos, increasing speculation about his health.
McConnell was wheeled into Wednesday’s Senate Agriculture Committee meeting on the Farm Bill, where he mostly sat in silence and had to be told how to vote. At one point, in a video shared by Scripps News Group, McConnell is seen sitting next to North Dakota Republican John Hoeven. While Hoeven plays with a pencil and someone speaks, the footage shows McConnell’s face freezing as he looks down, staring blankly for over 12 seconds before looking up.
The awkward moment recalled McConnell freezing on camera twice, within a matter of months, in 2023. That included going silent for more than 30 seconds during a news conference in July of that year, before being escorted away from the cameras.
On Thursday, McConnell also struggled when he was required to vote to help Republicans advance the Farm Bill. In a confusing moment, when McConnell’s name was read, Senator Hoeven leaned in towards him and told him to vote “no,” and the 84-year-old can be heard quietly saying “aye.” A female aide behind McConnell and Chairman John Boozman, who McConnell was also seated next to, both told him to vote “aye.”
McConnell repeated “aye” again, in a horse voice, tentatively raising his finger.
“Sen. Hoeven initially thought the vote was to overrule the chair, then realized the vote was on final passage,” a spokesperson for Hoeven told the New York Post.
The frail Republican left the meeting early, after he had made his vote. Boozman later thanked McConnell, who had already left, saying “he made a special effort to really get back this week in order to vote, help advance the bill.”
McConnell’s reappearance, however, has only prompted further concerns about his health, including his slow speech, thin and frail frame and a dark bruise on his left hand.
I’m including the videos below – as many have already noted, this would not be tolerated at a bank or in any kind of legal setting. This is non compos mentis – McConnell wouldn’t be allowed to write/sign a will or a contract, or make any kind of financial decisions. So why is he allowed to vote on a Farm Bill in the US Senate? I’m not catastrophizing the situation – people get old, it’s not a crime, and that’s why there are legal protections for the elderly. Why aren’t there legal protections for a sitting senator, and why aren’t there legal protections for the public to keep us safe from an empty-shell Republican senator?
NEW VIDEO: Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY) in today’s Senate Agriculture Committee meeting to advance the Farm Bill, captured by @scrippsnews group ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/5k6FS0ZUTh
— Nathaniel Reed (@ReedReports) September 16, 2026
Republicans have to instruct Mitch McConnell to vote "yes" on a bill after he nearly votes "no" with Democrats pic.twitter.com/yA8vNOJw5d
— Headquarters (@HQNewsNow) September 16, 2026
Screencap courtesy of WHAS11 video. Additional photos courtesy of McConnell’s senate office and Facebook.
Agree 100% that he would not be allowed to sig a legal document in this state. This is elder abuse. And makes a mockery of our government. No one should be “representing” a state if they can’t function independently.
10000% this.
Anything to keep power. This is disgusting
I wonder why the Republicans in Kentucky were afraid of a special election to replace McConnell? This is a better outcome than a special election?
Oops I meant ‘border’.
Nothing new…
Sounds like he’s not the only one who’s confused. I wish Canada would invade the US to liberate us. We are truly being governed by idiot criminals. It would probably be a very easy operation the way Trump and Hegseth have decimated the military.
Canada isn’t perfect, but we dont typically make a habit of replacing foreign goverments through force. That’s an American thing.
How about just annexing some states on your boarder? I’m in New York. Please send help.
@HillaryIsAlwaysRight, yes, please. I’m ready to switch to Canadian citizenship at this point.
Brassy Rebel, you’ve raised an intriguing point. Yes! Liberate us, Canada! They were always better than us and everybody knows it.
Glad to know I’m not the only one who’s thought of appealing to the Great White North for help!
Elbows up!
Liberate yourselves in November, please.
This would be the best plan if not for my fellow white people who keep voting for our extermination over and over. We can’t trust them to do the right thing ever.
We’re all hoping for that, but we know Trump is going to try to rig this election. He’s going to intimidate people so they don’t vote by stationing ICE or FBI agents at polling places, or find other reasons to de-legitimize results. This is the same regime who sent an armed mob to attack our Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. If only Merrick Garland had moved quickly to prosecute….
Has to be too big to rig. If there’s massive turnout no amount of scheming can change the outcome of a blue wave.
Why don’t Democrats SAY something? DO something? Why hasn’t Beshear taken action on this, or told us WHY he isn’t taking action? Why do Democrats seem to sit idly by without comment? Has a single politician spoken out in any meaningful way about this farce?
Well, yes, it’s the Democrats’ fault.
No.
@FYI: it’s because white people put Republicans in charge of everything and they’re the ones who are too scared to do anything. The governor has no power over a Federal office holder. And he keeps asking questions which never get answered. Vote for Democrats for everything for the rest of your life.
We the People are the only ones who can do something about this. By voting the bums out.
Because there are Democrats in the Epstein files and they don’t want to be exposed if they do something against Trump’s party. ( I wont even call them Republicans anymore. They’re not. They are Trump’s party. )
Name one current Democratic lawmaker in the Epstein Files. I’ll wait.
You think there aren’t? I’m not a Repubilcan and I vote Blue down the line always, but I’m also not a Democrat apologist or worshipper. You honestly think that Trump’s party wouldn’t use those files as blackmail? Tell me why the Democrats don’t say anything. Tell me why they don’t fight harder to get the unredacted files published. I’ll wait.
I mean, are we talking Dems in Congress or Dem donors? Carrey Wasserman, Reid Hoffman, Bill Gates, Larry Summers….all large Democratic donors tied to Epstein. The only (former) Dem senator I can think of is Bob Kerrey and he hasn’t been accused of wrongdoing.
The thing is, you can make a pretty solid argument that a certain segment of Big Money Dems are scared to hurt their powerful donors so they have a very vested interest in keeping the Epstein Files under wraps. Hoffman backs a lot of centrist PACS that are committed to keeping moderates inside the party which is quite the contrast with progressives who run people-powered campaigns funded by small donations. Party leadership is made up of moderates like Jeffries and Schumer and while they both claim to want the files released, they also know that as long as Trump is president, the files will never be released so it’s pretty safe to take the popular position.
The lesson here is that until we get money out of politics, people will always be skeptical and suspicious of politicians who are beholden to their donors, regardless of political affiliation.
So the mother ship failed to program a full reboot, despite having him for months? Take him back already ffs.
Look, once the CPU is shot there’s not much you can do, and his CPU is clearly fried.
All that goes through my head when I see this is why Dolly and Gloria? When true evil seems to live forever…
He’s too evil to die.
The grim reaper is playing with this guy like a cat with a mouse. It’s time for this man to bake in the fiery pits of hell already.
Aye!
Said in a horse voice
Neiiigh. Trouble breathing picturing microwave burrito McConnell (warm on the outside, icicle in the middle) doing a little Mr ed impression
Bwahahaha! Nice comparison! My mind went to Encino Man when Pauly Shore showed Brendan Fraser how to microwave a burrito at the gas station. LoL!
You know I’ve been taught to respect my elders and show compassion for all humankind. And even though Mitch is in such a frail, vulnerable state, I STILL CAN’T WITH HIM. Get him out of there. His vote should be null and void.
For an affected individual, concerned parties can request a guardianship to make important decisions on their behalf. Perhaps a new law is in order for constituents to be able to request a guardianship of the seat that represents them and allocates their tax dollars.
Or maybe we could enact an age limit to avoid anyone having to make a judgment call.
Degeneration is not invariably linked to age. An inability to do the job because of a health problem could happen with a younger person. As some would argue it has with John Fetterman.
We can thank this guy for Trump, because he was senate leader when Trump was impeached and refused to allow the senate to convict, and for the horrid supreme court since he would not allow Obama to put forward his candidate for the court. He was part of the catalyst for our current political discourse today. So you can go anytime Mitch, bye.
He also allowed the appointment of Amy Coney Barrett to go ahead just before the GE, when voting had actually started in a few places. Such a contrast to his stance on Garland.
Bev, 100 percent true.
Listen, I love the elderly. There are some really cool people of the retirement age who have wonderful stories and wise insights into life. I worked in assisted living homes for years and loved the residents I worked with. That being said, why is it acceptable that nursing home patients are running the country???
This makes me think of some of the stories we have from Ancient Rome – Caligula making his horse a senator. I wonder if the history books in the future (or whatever AI allows us to keep) will use examples like this to illustrate how rotten and corrupt the system was at this point.
I am so thankful this is on camera. He would not be able to sign a contract or get something notarized in his current state.
Add “pass legislation to prevent mentally impaired officials from using government authority” to the To Do List. Another one of those things that seems to be implied, but not explicitly spelled out.
This is the Diane Feinstein issue all over again. Their family should step in as it’s obvious that Congress won’t.
The most terrifying thing we’ve learned is that there are no checks and balances in the US. Courts rule, bully politicians ignore it and do what they want. People vote, their ballots disappear. Police and military try to uphold the law, brutes are recruited and form a whole new quasi-military force. And vile, hate-filled old men become ventriloquist dummies so the hate can continue to flow and nobody can stop it
I know people may say it’s ageist but they’re absolutely should be age limits to serve as a politician. And that goes for all positions in government – Congress, Senate, the White House etc. And if people complain about that, then all need to have a physical where cognitive abilities are tested. The only reason this idiot hasn’t been removed is because there are no kind of laws to remove someone from power for cognitive decline. He should have retired a long time ago.
I feel the same about Nancy Pelosi by the way who is 86. She should have retired years ago. I know she’s doing fine cognitively but she should have stepped aside a long time ago. Oh and same goes for the Supreme Court justices too.
Not to be morbid, but are there any doctor or nurse Celebitches? Just curious to see what timeline professionals give him.