Mitch McConnell, 84, Caught Freezing Up in Shock New Video
The frail senator has had another on-camera glitch.
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.
An aide whispers to U.S. Senator Mitch McConnell on Thursday.
Jonathan Ernst/REUTERS
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.
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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.”

Republican Mitch McConnell is seen freezing and staring blankly during a Senate vote.
Scripps News Group
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.
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
McConnell’s vote allowed the bill to pass along party lines in a 12-11 vote.
A statement on McConnell’s X account later said, “As a member of the Agriculture Committee since my first day in the United States Senate, I was proud to vote yes on the Farm Bill on behalf of the hardworking farm families across Kentucky.”
His post also featured a photograph of him shaking hands with Boozman.
The Daily Beast has contacted reps for Hoeven and McConnell for comment.
Dr. Brian Monahan gave McConnell a clear bill of health in 2023 after his dual on-camera freezes.
At the time, Monahan said there was “no evidence” McConnell had a seizure disorder or experienced a stroke, noting he was still recovering from when the tripped and fell at a Washington hotel in March 2023.
Monahan was filmed going into McConnell’s office on Thursday. After 40 minutes, Monahan left, but stated “I have nothing to say” when asked about meeting with the frail senator.

Dr. Brian Monahan was filmed on Capitol Hill.
X
McConnell was also filmed being wheeled backwards into an elevator as he left the senate. While he remained silent, he flashed a peace sign as he was flanked by staffers.
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