U.S. Senate Republicans are standing by their longtime leader Mitch McConnell as they leave for the long August recess, brushing off questions about his health after he froze midsentence at the start of his weekly news conference Wednesday.
While senators in both parties expressed concerns about the Kentucky Republican after he suddenly stopped speaking and was escorted away from the microphones, McConnell, 81, so far isn’t facing calls for him to set aside from his leadership duties.
"He’s fine, he’s back at work, he’s doing all the things he normally does,” the No. 2 Senate Republican, John Thune of South Dakota, said Thursday.