(Luis Cornelio, Headline USA) A newly released video has captured former Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell struggling with mobility, as he was confined to a wheelchair and required physical assistance to get into an SUV outside the U.S. Capitol.
The footage, shared on X by CNN on Monday, showed McConnell struggling with mobility and being lifted by two armed bodyguards. A third individual guarded the scene while an aide folded the wheelchair and appeared to place it in the back of the SUV.
The video quickly gained viral attention on social media, with many critics calling for McConnell’s retirement from the Senate. At 82, McConnell is one of the oldest members of the 119th Congress.
First elected to the Senate in 1985, McConnell served over seven years as Jefferson County’s judge-executive in Kentucky. He has been a prominent figure in GOP leadership since 2003, serving as Senate majority whip before becoming party leader.
In February 2024, McConnell announced he would step down from his leadership position after enduring several health scares and facing mounting pressure to make way for new leadership.
On Feb. 6, 2025, McConnell fell twice inside the Capitol, requiring aides to evacuate him in a wheelchair. This followed a series of concerning incidents. On Dec. 10, he fell during a Senate Republican luncheon, spraining his wrist and leaving his face cut.
In July 2023, McConnell fell at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. Just months prior, McConnell had been hospitalized for several days after falling and sustaining a concussion and rib fractures. He also fractured his shoulder in a 2019 fall.
The most unsettling event, however, occurred when McConnell froze for several seconds during a press conference in 2023. Republican colleagues quickly stepped in to escort him away.
A similar incident took place a month later when McConnell was asked whether he planned to run for re-election in 2024.
Monday’s video comes just days after former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, 84, was seen limping toward a minivan outside the Capitol. She was seen using two canes for support and accompanied by armed bodyguards.
This incident followed a hip replacement surgery after she fell during an official government trip to Luxembourg.
Like McConnell, Pelosi faced calls from her party to step down from leadership. Ironically, Pelosi was one of the leading Democrats who pushed for then-President Joe Biden to step aside from the 2024 presidential election, citing concerns he was too old to win re-election.
Pelosi has since been replaced by House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, while McConnell was succeeded by Sen. John Thune.
Tell me we need term limits without telling me we need term limits: pic.twitter.com/oL8ts4vone
— Daily Caller (@DailyCaller) February 6, 2025
