US Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell is being treated for a concussion and is staying at a hospital for observation after a fall at a hotel in Washington, DC, on Wednesday evening.
"Leader McConnell tripped at a dinner event Wednesday evening and has been admitted to the hospital and is being treated for a concussion. He is expected to remain in the hospital for a few days of observation and treatment," David Popp, communications director for McConnell, said in a statement released on Thursday afternoon.
"The Leader is grateful to the medical professionals for their care and to his colleagues for their warm wishes," the statement said.
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The fall happened at the Waldorf Astoria hotel in Washington, DC, which was formerly the Trump International Hotel, according to a source familiar with the matter.
McConnell was attending an event for the Senate Leadership Fund, a McConnell-aligned super PAC, another source familiar with the matter said.
The 81-year-old is the Senate's longest-serving GOP leader, known for helping the party achieve key Republican priorities, including stocking the Supreme Court with conservative justices, passing Trump-era tax cuts and frequently thwarting Democrats' legislative agenda.
His hospitalisation this week comes as the Senate is narrowly divided, with Democrats controlling the chamber by a 51-49 margin.
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Democratic Sens. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania and Dianne Feinstein of California have also been hospitalized in recent weeks, with Fetterman seeking treatment for depression and Feinstein for shingles.
Lawmakers from both sides of the aisle have publicly sent McConnell well wishes.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer opened his floor remarks on Thursday by wishing McConnell a "speedy and full recovery" and noted that he called McConnell Thursday morning and spoke briefly with his staff.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries said he and his fellow House Democrats were praying for a "swift and a full and a speedy recovery," a sentiment echoed by Senate Minority Whip John Thune, the second-ranking Republican in the Senate.
The minority leader previously fell at his Kentucky home in 2019, fracturing his shoulder.
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