Mitch McConnell is facing renewed scrutiny after previously unseen Senate footage surfaced online. The clips show the Kentucky Republican receiving help during several votes on the chamber floor. However, the videos date back to June 4, days before McConnell’s hospitalization. Their release now adds another layer to questions surrounding his health and prolonged absence from the Senate.
The newly surfaced footage adds to questions surrounding Mitch McConnell’s health and Senate absence
TMZ published several Senate videos on Aug. 20 from a marathon June 4 vote-a-rama. Senators cast 29 votes during the roughly 18-hour session. In one clip, McConnell initially votes yea before a clerk approaches his chief of staff. After a brief discussion, McConnell changes his vote to nay.
Meanwhile, another video shows Ohio Sen. Bernie Moreno giving McConnell a thumbs-down gesture. McConnell then appears to repeat the signal before voting nay.
In a third clip, a Senate clerk makes a similar thumbs-down gesture with his hand below the desk. McConnell follows with a nay vote. The footage has since fueled claims that Mitch McConnell looked confused while voting, although the clips alone do not explain why he received assistance.
Another clip shows McConnell remaining seated for nearly six hours as the Senate continued its marathon voting session.
Ten days later, McConnell suffered a fall at his Washington, D.C., home and briefly lost consciousness. He later developed mild pneumonia before entering rehabilitation. Earlier this month, he left the rehabilitation facility to continue recovering at home.
Still, McConnell has not returned to the Senate floor. His prolonged absence has already drawn calls for a direct public update from Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear.
More recently, longtime ally Scott Jennings said he spoke with McConnell by phone and found him engaged with political issues.
For now, the newly surfaced Senate videos raise fresh questions about McConnell’s final days on Capitol Hill before his hospitalization. However, they do not establish the cause of his behavior that day.
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