Fit to serve? Republicans had to instruct Mitch McConnell how to vote

It came as a major surprise to many when Mitch McConnell was wheeled into the halls of Congress after being absent from his job and public life for 95 days.

The 84-year-old Senator from Kentucky, who retires in just a couple of months, was rumored to be incapacitated or worse, dead.

So how would the elderly senator from the Bluegrass State fare in his work capacity? According to the videos released yesterday, not well.

A fellow Republican has to instruct McConnell on voting

It started to go south in a Senate Agriculture Committee meeting. Here, the Republican and Democratic members of the committee voted ‘yes’ or ‘no’ on a farm bill.

The politicians took turns saying their votes out loud. When McConnell was called upon, he looked visibly confused and nearly voted no, which was the opposite of the desired outcome for the Republicans on the committee.

Instead, John Boozman, a Republican Senator from Arkansas, had to whisper in his ear that he was supposed to vote ‘aye,’ which he falteringly did in the end. The entire thing was captured on video:

McConnell zones out after leaving the Senate

From here, the optics just got worse. After almost having Senator Boozman vote for him, which in the eyes of some could be described as proxy voting – voting in place of another – and is strictly prohibited in Congress, McConnell was helped along in his wheelchair and into a black SUV.

An independent reporter named Desirée Townsend filmed him and tried to ask him questions about some upcoming votes later that night, but Senator McConnell did not answer.

Instead, he just sat in the car frozen without saying anything before the car door started to close. In the end, he threw up a “peace sign” surrounded by two security guards before being driven away.

Is McConnell fit for office?

The two videos raise serious questions about whether McConnell is fit to serve the people of Kentucky and if this is at all dignified.

When McConnell returned to work earlier this week, he gave a statement on the Senate floor. However, the reporters present were not allowed to ask him any questions, or more importantly, film him giving his statement.

“I’m still not quite back to 100%, but I’ve assured Leader (John) Thune that, as I continue with physical therapy on the advice of my doctors, I will do my best to be present for tough votes when our Conference needs me,” McConnell said in his statement.

The question remains whether it is enough to just be present for votes when others have to do the voting for you.

This article is made and published by Daniel Wolfram, who may have used AI in the preparation