Mitch McConnell Sustains Injuries From Hard Fall

Source: Andrew Harnik / Getty

Mitch McConnell fell during the Senate Republican lunch and sustained minor injuries on Tuesday.

The 82-year-old Senate Republican leader tripped and sustained a cut on his face and sprained his wrist from the incident.

McConnell is “fine,” according to Sen. John Thune, R-S.D., who spoke in McConnell’s place at a press conference Tuesday afternoon. A spokesperson for the senator said McConnell has been cleared to resume his schedule.

“Leader McConnell tripped following lunch. He sustained a minor cut to the face and sprained his wrist. He has been cleared to resume his schedule,” his spokesperson said.

McConnell later Tuesday afternoon exited his office to cast a vote on the Senate floor.

McConnell wore a brace on his left hand and had a visible bandage under his left eye.

The longtime Republican leader first took office in 1985 and has served in the U.S. Senate ever since. He announced in February plans to step down from his post as the GOP’s Senate leader at the end of the year, a position he’s held since 2007.

McConnell and his staff have been largely reticent about his health after he was hounded with questions last year after freezing for roughly 28 seconds during a July 2023 press conference on Capitol Hill. He did so again for about 18 seconds during a press conference in Kentucky in August 2023.