Mitch McConnell has had freezes, falls and health scares. See timeline
Sen. Mitch McConnell’s recent hospitalization is the latest in a string of recent significant health incidents for the 84-year-old lawmaker.
McConnell was hospitalized June 14, but his staff did not give details about his health at the time, other than to say he was receiving “excellent care.” The public has since received few details on McConnell’s condition or whether he is still hospitalized.
According to EMS radio traffic reported by media outlets this week, McConnell was “unconscious” at his home in Washington, D.C., before he was taken to the hospital.
McConnell is not seeking reelection this year, and the race to replace him is underway. He has held his Senate seat since 1985 and is in his seventh term. From 2007 to 2025, he served as the leader of the Senate GOP.
A series of significant health incidents for McConnell date back to 2023.
Here’s what to know about some of the influential Republican senator’s high-profile health problems.
March 8, 2023: Fall sends McConnell to the hospital with a concussion
McConnell tripped and was later admitted into the hospital for treatment after falling at a dinner event in Washington, D.C. The public did not learn the then-Senate minority leader had suffered a concussion until about 13 hours after his office said he’d reported to the hospital, McClatchy previously reported.
McConnell at the time was expected to stay at the hospital for a few days. In a previous fall in 2019, McConnell fractured his shoulder at his home in Kentucky and recovered from the injury.
March 13, 2023: McConnell is discharged from hospital
McConnell was discharged from a Washington, D.C., hospital and underwent physical therapy at an inpatient rehab facility before returning home, a spokesperson said at the time.
McConnell’s medical team discovered he had also fractured a rib when he was in the hospital over the course of the previous weekend.
April 13, 2023: McConnell announces he will return to the Senate
McConnell posted on X he would return to the Senate after spending more than five weeks recovering from the fall.
“I am looking forward to returning to the Senate on Monday,” McConnell posted on X. “We’ve got important business to tackle and big fights to win for Kentuckians and the American people.”
July 26, 2023: McConnell freezes at Washington, D.C., press conference
McConnell froze for more than 20 seconds and appeared unable to speak before colleagues escorted him away from the podium while giving a statement at a press conference. He later returned and said “I’m fine.”
Aug. 30 2023: Second public freeze
At a press conference in Northern Kentucky, McConnell fell silent for more than 30 seconds after a reporter asked a question.
McConnell was asked about seeking reelection in 2026 in Covington. He asked the reporter to repeat the question, and after a moment’s pause, aide Robbin Taylor repeated the question.
McConnell was led away, then the press conference resumed after a pause, with a staff repeating questions to McConnell. A spokesperson for the senator said McConnell “felt momentarily lightheaded and paused during his press conference today” when asked about the incident at the time.
Dec. 10, 2024: Luncheon fall
McConnell required medical attention for injuries, including a sprained wrist and small cut on his face, after a fall following a Senate GOP lunch in Washington, D.C.
Medical professionals were seen entering the senator’s office after the event, and he was later “cleared to resume his schedule” a spokesperson wrote at the time.
Feb. 5, 2025: McConnell falls down stairs
After McConnell voted to confirm Scott Turner as secretary of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, it was reported McConnell fell down a set of stairs.
A staffer later attributed McConnell’s fall to “lingering effects of polio in his left leg.” (The senator had polio as a child.)
A reporter from the Washington outlet Punchbowl News witnessed the fall and wrote on X: “Sen. McConnell just fell down the stairs on his way out of the chamber … He got up with the help from some senators and seemed to walk it off as he left.”
A spokesperson for McConnell’s office confirmed the fall in a press statement asserting the 82-year-old senator was “fine.”
Oct. 16, 2025: Trip and fall caught on camera
McConnell, navigating a corridor at the Capitol accompanied by a security detail, stumbled and fell to the ground while being questioned by a member of The Sunrise Movement, a progressive group.
The fall was caught on camera and widely circulated on social media.
McConnell was assisted to his feet and turned and waved to the camera and crowd as he was escorted away. A spokesperson later responded: “He’s all good — went on to vote and ready to vote again at 1:30 p.m. to see if (Democrats) decide to fund our nation’s defense priorities or not.”
Feb. 2, 2026: McConnell admitted to hospital for “flu-like” symptoms
McConnell’s first known hospitalization this year was due to “flu-like symptoms,” a spokesperson said at the time.
“In an abundance of caution, after experiencing flu-like symptoms over the weekend, Senator McConnell checked himself into a local hospital for evaluation last night. His prognosis is positive, and he is grateful for the excellent care he is receiving. He is in regular contact with his staff and looks forward to returning to Senate business,” the spokesperson wrote.
He was discharged Feb. 10 after a weeklong stay.
June 14, 2026: McConnell admitted into the hospital
McConnell’s office said he was admitted to the hospital June 14 but did not give details about his condition at the time, other than to say he was receiving “excellent care.”
While his office has shared few details surrounding his health condition, media outlets this week shared a EMS radio traffic recording that McConnell was “unconscious” at his home in Washington, D.C., before he was taken to the hospital.
His office hasn’t provided any updates since June 22, when spokesperson Stephanie Penn said he would not vote in the Senate that week but was working “closely” with staff as his health continued to recover.
