Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell appeared to freeze for about 30 seconds on Wednesday while speaking with reporters after a speech in Covington, Kentucky.
The incident is similar to an episode McConnell experienced at the US Capitol late last month and is likely to raise additional questions about the fitness of the 81-year-old to lead the Senate Republican caucus.
Wednesday’s episode occurred when a reporter asked the Republican leader if he was planning to run for reelection in 2026. McConnell had to ask him to repeat the question several times, chuckled for a moment, and then paused.
Someone at his side then asked him, “Did you hear the question, senator, running for reelection in 2026?” McConnell did not respond.
Article includes video of the incident.
Kentucky is going to Kentucky. Hold my beer while I burn the state to the ground. I lived there and it was disheartening how many people vote against their self interest.
Because to most people in Kentucky keeping America safe from Hillary Clinton is more important than healthcare, abortion access, or school funding. Those voters have shown us their priorities, time and time again, and they truly care more about culture war nonsense than anything else.
Keep in mind though, that it’s not that the people of Kentucky are inherently bad or stupid, they have been intentionally poorly educated, miseducated, and are heavily propagandized. Many of these people are effectively trapped, surrounded by messages of hate and religion and they are taught to blame their problems on specific others. This is done on purpose so that they are easier to manipulate into voting as needed to maintain power structures.
They’re just voting for the only party who pretends to care about them.
Democrats have spent almost no energy on making rural voters feel included.
If you saw everything you’ve ever known decay into the shambles of globalization, then some orange guy comes and starts yelling about how he’s going to fight for your way of life, while the other guy is talking to the people who have been shaming you for decades, who do you think you’d vote for?
If we want a better future, we’re going to have to get over all this hatred towards our neighbors. Waving your hands around a map and saying “fuck allll these (rural) people” isn’t going to work anymore, because China/Russia know exactly how to exploit that hate.
I lived there for 3 years and I tried voting against every Republican candidate possible. I was glad to see the governorship flip, but everything else is a head scratcher. Then I learned that McConnell won his like, 7th fucking term there? All the while, he has made it abundantly clear, that he will not improve and not serve the interests of the American people in which his position is to serve to. And no other candidate has the balls even, to challenge his post which is even more shitty.