‘Painful to Watch’: Andrea Mitchell and Guests Worry Over Mitch McConnell’s ‘Competence’ at ‘High Stakes Time’ After Freeze Incident

Andrea Mitchell said that footage of Republican Sen. Mitch McConnell “freezing” while speaking to reporters this week was “painful to watch,” as the MSNBC host discussed questions of the Majority Leader’s competence on Thursday.

Aides say Sen. McConnell will be consulting with a physician after the 81-year old Kentucky Republican trailed off into an extended silence, staring ahead silently for over half a minute on Wednesday. This is the second such incident that has happened in front of reporters.

Some fellow Republicans were quick to use the term “unfit” after video of the freeze spread, President Joe Biden weighed in on Wednesday, and the moment even caused conflict between an MSNBC host and a House Democrat.

On Thursday’s Andrea Mitchell Reports, the host spoke with MSNBC correspondent Ali Vitali and MSNBC contributor Charlie Sykes about the “level of concern” over McConnell’s health.

After Vitali gave an overview, she said “not only is it difficult to watch, but it also spurs questions about transparency, and if he’s able to continue doing this work, especially at a high stakes time.”

Mitchell said it was “painful to watch” in her reply on the upcoming budget fights facing Congress.

“This is painful to watch. I’ve covered him for many, many decades and it’s just painful to watch it,” she said, turning to Sykes. “But it does raise issues about health and age and competence for a key player.”

Mitchell also addressed an elephant in the room in that President Joe Biden (80) also faces questions about his age and health that have come up many times, and which recent polls show is a major concern for voters.

“It also can’t be comfortable for the White House with all of the polling recently showing the, you know, widespread concern and bipartisan concern about the president’s health,” said Mitchell (76).

“It is it is very painful to to watch this. It is really alarming,” Sykes agreed. He pointed out that McConnell is a powerful and key figure in Washington, as Mitchell and Vitali had noted.

“But this is a reminder how fragile power can be in a gerontocracy,” said Sykes (68).

VITALI: What we heard from them yesterday, that he would be consulting a physician. That’s what they told us the last time that this happened. There have been very few details, both from the Leader himself when he’s been asked questions about this by the Capitol Hill press corps and also from his staff about what’s going on with his health at this point. And the more times that we see this happen, not only is it difficult to watch, but it also spurs questions about transparency, and if he’s able to continue doing this work, especially at a high stakes time. Andrea, you and I both know this well, we are really in for it this September when it comes to the funding fight that’s been brewing here on Capitol Hill. September 30th is that deadline, what could become a government shutdown. McConnell is going to be one of those key lawmakers in the room alongside Speaker McCarthy and these questions are going to dog him there, too.

MITCHELL: And in fact, he just pushed back yesterday against McCarthy’s bottom line on the funding. So already he’s taking an independent stance that the Senate has – independent of those House Republicans. Charlie, this is painful to watch. I’ve covered him for many, many decades and it’s just painful to watch it. But it does raise issues about health and age and competence for a key player. And it also can’t be comfortable for the White House with all of the polling recently showing the, you know, widespread concern and bipartisan concern about the president’s health.

SKYES: No, it is it is very painful to to watch this. It is really alarming. And you hope that there are people around him who will get him the best medical care. But but to your to your point, Mitch McConnell is one of the most consequential, powerful members of the United States Senate. But this is a reminder how fragile power can be in a gerontocracy. And and this is one of those moments you step back, and you think, okay, you know, we think we know what’s going to happen in American politics. But, you know, when you have figures who have these health problems, the unexpected is is always, is always there. And I – I mean, I hope people react with nuance. I hope they react with compassion. But this is kind of a warning shot that that when you have people, you know, who have health problems and who have decided not to step aside, there can be these kinds of difficulties. And and so I, I hope that people will react with restraint to this. But we don’t live in an age of either nuance, restraint, or compassion, do we?

MITCHELL: Know? Hardly. Au contraire. Ali Vitali, Charlie Sykes, thanks. A sensitive subject, a difficult one. Thank you.

Watch the clip above, via MSNBC.

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