Mitch McConnell to remain in hospital for a few days to treat a concussion after fall
WASHINGTON — Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., was hospitalized and is being treated for a concussion after tripping at a hotel Wednesday night, a spokesman said.
“Leader McConnell tripped at a dinner event Wednesday evening and has been admitted to the hospital and is being treated for a concussion," McConnell's communications director, David Popp, said Thursday in a statement. "He is expected to remain in the hospital for a few days of observation and treatment. The Leader is grateful to the medical professionals for their care and to his colleagues for their warm wishes.”
McConnell fell after an event for the Senate Leadership Fund — a Republican super PAC aligned with McConnell and GOP leadership — at the Waldorf Astoria in Washington, two senators who attended told NBC News.
Vito Maggiolo, a spokesman for the District of Columbia Fire and Emergency Medical Services Department, said Thursday morning that an “adult male” was transported from the Waldorf Astoria at 9:17 p.m. Wednesday, and the call was dispatched after a report of a fall at the hotel. The person was transported to a local hospital and “notes did not indicate patient condition,” he said.
Hesaid he could not specify whether the person who fell was McConnell or which hospital he was taken to, citing privacy issues under a federal law restricting release of medical information.
One senator told NBC News on Thursday that they have been in touch with a McConnell family member. “I can tell you that he’s going to be OK,” the senator said.
In remarks on the Senate floor Thursday morning, Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said he called McConnell and spoke with his staff.
“My thoughts this morning are with my good friend Leader Mitch McConnell, who is recovering from in the hospital after an accident last night," Schumer said. "This morning I offer a prayer of strength and healing for the leader and his family. I called the leader this morning and spoke briefly with his staff to extend my prayers and well wishes.”
President Joe Biden tweeted to wish McConnell well: "Jill and I are wishing Senator McConnell a speedy recovery. We look forward to seeing him back on the Senate floor," the president said.
Multiple senators on Thursday said that they haven’t yet heard from McConnell and do not have information about his condition.
“No, I haven’t spoken to him directly,” Senate Minority Whip John Thune, R-S.D., told reporters.
“It was an SLF event,” said Thune, a McConnell ally, adding that he was at the reception with McConnell but did not witness the fall as he left after the reception for another event.
McConnell stayed for the SLF dinner, Thune said. “I mean, we have I think very limited information on it.”
Sen. Kevin Cramer, R-N.D., said he hopes it won’t have too much of an impact if McConnell is out for a few days or longer.
“As you can tell, it’s not like we’re breaking a sweat around here on the floor. As far as the committee work, it’s moving along and he doesn’t have a lot of impact on that anyway,” he said. “As far as the floor action — we’re missing a lot of people, let’s put it that way.”
A different Republican senator told NBC News they have been trying to find out more about McConnell from Senate leadership but haven't gotten answers.
“No, we haven’t heard anything,” Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., said. “Nobody’s passed anything down the line to any of us. We haven’t heard."
Tuberville added that members were expecting to get "a briefing" at lunch Thursday.
In 2019, McConnell suffered a shoulder fracture after he tripped and fell at his home in Kentucky. The GOP leader underwent surgery for the fracture.
The incident was first reported by Punchbowl News, a politics news website.
McConnell was first elected to the Senate in 1984, and in 2020 was re-elected to serve a seventh term.
He was the Senate majority leader from 2015 until early 2021, when Democrats became the majority after the 2020 elections.