McConnell Makes Eyebrow-Raising Announcement about

Mitch McConnell, on Wednesday, shocked people across the nation when he froze during a press conference, stopping mid-sentence and staring blankly while not moving for about 30 long seconds. That concerned everyone there and swiftly led to questions over whether he would resign and be replaced by someone who isn’t geriatric.

McConnell initially just laughed and walked away, though a new statement from his office on the matter said that he has no plans to resign and will stay in his current position through the 2024 election. However, as his term isn’t over until 2027, it was unclear whether he would resign after the election or just meant that his position might change depending on how the election goes.

Newsweek notes that Kentucky law is specific as to what happens if a Senator resigns or otherwise leaves office, reporting, “following the passing of Senate Bill 228, the Kentucky governor would now have to pick a successor from the same party as the departed senator. This would be from a list of three names provided by the executive committee of the departing senator’s state party.”

After that temporary replacement is chosen, Newsweek noted, “A special election would then be held to determine who takes over the seat on a permanent basis, unless the vacancy occurs within three months of an already scheduled election.”

McConnell, commenting on the bill and new replacement procedure in Kentucky, said, “I’m not going anywhere. I just got elected to a six-year term, and I’m still the leader of my party in the Senate. So, this is a hypothetical. But I had watched this over the years in the Senate, as various vacancies were filled, and I thought this was the best way to go.”

Though McConnell insists on staying in office despite the apparent medical event, many commenters on Twitter, including conservative ones, have demanded he resign. Benny Johnson, for instance, said, “After suffering a stroke on camera Mitch McConnell tries to laugh it off with a joke hastily written by his staff then proceeds to immediately freeze up again and stare off into the middle distance. McConnell is unwell. He is a cancer on the GOP. Resign.”