McConnell sprains wrist, sustains cut in fall but cleared to resume work schedule

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell tripped and fell on Tuesday, spraining his wrist and sustaining a minor cut to the face.

The 82-year-old Kentucky Republican received medical attention and was cleared to go back to work.

“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,” a McConnell spokesperson said in a statement.

Mr. McConnell did not attend the weekly Senate Republican leadership press conference that follows their Tuesday conference lunch.

South Dakota Sen. John Thune, the current GOP whip who will replace Mr. McConnell as Republican leader when the new Congress convenes in January, led the press conference.

When asked about the fall, Mr. Thune said only that Mr. McConnell “is fine” and was in his office. He deferred any other questions to Mr. McConnell’s staff.

Tuesday’s fall is not the first for Mr. McConnell. He suffered a concussion early last year after falling at an event in Washington, and CNN reported he fell at least two other times in 2023 that his office did not publicly disclose.

Mr. McConnell also raised concerns about his health last year when he froze, unable to gather his words for a brief period, at two separate press conferences.

Earlier this year, Mr. McConnell announced that he would step down as Senate Republican leader at the end of the congressional session, ending a record-breaking 18-year run in the role.

He has said he will serve out his term, which ends in 2026, but has not yet said whether he plans to run for reelection.

Mr. McConnell will serve as chair of the Senate Rules Committee and the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense in the next Congress, when Republicans will assume the majority after increasing their total to 53 seats in the November elections.