President Joe Biden offered a diagnosis Thursday for Republican Kentucky Sen. Mitch McConnell’s freeze-ups, speculating that the Senate minority leader is recovering from his concussion.
“I spoke to Mitch, he’s a friend,” Biden began in response to a reporter.
“He was his old self on the telephone, and having a little understanding of dealing with neurosurgeons and people — and one of the leading women in my staff, her husband is a neurosurgeon as well — it’s not at all unusual to have the response that sometimes happens to Mitch, when you’ve had a severe concussion,” the president added.
“It’s part of the recovery and so I’m confident he’s going to be back to his old self,” Biden said.
McConnell appeared to freeze up during his remarks Wednesday, the second time in weeks he apparently could not speak for a relatively extended period of time. The senator fell silent for about 10 seconds after a reporter asked if he would seek reelection in 2026 and was then assisted by aides. (RELATED: McConnell Freezes Up Again Mid-Speech During Press Conference)
McConnell’s freeze-up episode occurred in July, when he was ushered away from the podium.
The senator had suffered a concussion and a broken rib in March after falling.
Biden added that he had no concerns about his abilities.
The president appeared to joke Wednesday about McConnell running in 2026, asking Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas if he was running for office.