Rand Paul doubts Capitol health practitioner furnished ‘legitimate clinical analysis’ of Mitch McConnell after freeze-up
“Everybody’s seen the clips. It’s not a valid clinical diagnosis for people to say that’s dehydration,” Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., advised reporters Tuesday
physician, confirmed in a letter Tuesday that he examined McConnell following his contemporary incident in front of journalists ultimate week at some point of an event in Covington, Kentucky.
In his letter, Monahan stated “there may be no evidence” McConnell has a seizure ailment or “skilled a stroke, TIA or motion sickness inclusive of Parkinson’s disease.”
Monahan additionally said in a assertion closing week that he had “consulted” with McConnell, 81, and “conferred” with the Kentucky Republican’s neurology crew and decided that “he is medically clear to preserve together with his schedule as deliberate.”
The medical doctor added: “Occasional lightheadedness is not uncommon in concussion recovery and can also be anticipated because of dehydration.”
Speaking to newshounds Tuesday, Paul, who has practiced medicinal drug as an eye physician, stated it’s higher for senators to be “drawing close about what’s taking place with their health issues” as he puzzled the Capitol doctor’s clarification of McConnell’s freeze-up last week.
“Obviously not being within the function — not seeing the x-rays, now not seeing the radiology — I can clearly only comment I wager on what they have launched,” Paul advised reporters within the Capitol on Tuesday.
“And they’ve the Senate doctor pronouncing he has a everyday EEG,” a reference to an electroencephalogram.
He delivered: “The trouble with pronouncing a person has a everyday EEG, and pronouncing they’re now not having seizures, is that humans who have quick seizures, properly over eighty% of them have regular EEGs.
If you’re having longer seizures, you’re more likely, however even then only about half of them have unusual EEGs.
An EEG that’s achieved at one time on an workplace visit regularly will miss matters. Even a 24-hour EEG would possibly omit things.”
Paul stated he does now not think the Capitol health practitioner furnished “a valid clinical diagnosis.”
“Everybody’s visible the clips,” he stated. “It’s not a legitimate scientific analysis for people to say that’s dehydration.”
Paul declined to say whether he’s involved approximately McConnell’s workload via the fitness issues: “I can’t clearly say something on that. All I can say is, it doesn’t appear to be dehydration.”
Asked whether or not he’s assured in McConnell’s ability to steer the convention, Paul also declined to immediately touch upon the matter, but stated he thinks McConnell has “been up to the challenge.”
“And so this isn’t a complaint of him or some thing — it’s a complaint of the way it’s being handled publicly, by means of giving a prognosis that everybody thinks is lots less than what it actually is,” Paul stated. “So then humans robotically suppose, ‘Wow, it’s a lot worse than it in reality is.
But it may be some thing very treatable. Seizures are dealt with. Many humans in high-functioning jobs have seizures.
Many seizures after trauma leave, but there’s a lot of things I don’t realize.”
In feedback to NBC News on Wednesday, Paul doubled down on his statements: “If you’re giving recommendation on, , what a person’s potential diagnosis is, surely it have to be primarily based at the statistics.
And what I can inform you is that having vacant spells of 30 seconds or extra in which you’re unresponsive, isn’t a sign or a symptom of dehydration.”
Paul additionally confused that he is “now not thinking” McConnell’s capability to be inside the Senate, but instead his analysis.
Skepticism about McConnell’s health and capability to guide Senate Republicans multiplied after he froze last week at an event in Kentucky, appearing not able to speak for about 1/2 a minute after a reporter requested him if he planned to run for re-election in 2026.
The episode marked his second obvious public freeze-up in two months.
McConnell additionally appeared to freeze for almost 20 seconds in the front of the TV cameras at some stage in a weekly management news convention in late July.
The episode came weeks after the Senate minority chief, a polio survivor who has had trouble walking on stairs and navigating other boundaries, fell while disembarking from a plane at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport on July 14, NBC News reported. He became not significantly harm inside the incident.
Prior to the plain freeze-ups, McConnell also skilled a fall and concussion in March that sidelined him for almost six weeks.
Other Republican colleagues prolonged their assist for McConnell.
“He’s nevertheless on his sport mentally,” stated Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., instructed journalists Tuesday.
Republican Sens. Mitt Romney of Utah, Lindsey Graham of South Carolina and Kevin Cramer of North Dakota stood by McConnell, telling newshounds Tuesday that they don’t have any concerns about the leader’s capability to serve.
“The truth is that we can also anticipate that Mitch McConnell will check out for 20 seconds a day, however the other 86,380 seconds inside the day, he does a pretty darn properly process,” Romney informed NBC News.
“I don’t assume he’s proven any lack of ability to guide in negotiations, to elevate cash, to get Republicans elected, to assist guide our caucus.
He’s shown that he’s been able to do that within the past. He’s going to hold doing that inside the destiny.”
Graham told NBC News that he’ll “just consider the physician’s assessment.”
“I like Mitch, and, you understand, allow’s simply circulate forward hoping that he’s in a great spot here,” he stated, including that he turned into satisfied McConnell were given checked.
Asked by using NBC News whether or not he has any worries approximately McConnell’s capacity to steer the GOP, Graham said: “No, I’m true.”
Cramer similarly said McConnell’s analysis from Monahan turned into “quite encouraging.”
“I don’t have any purpose to doubt that that’s the reality, and it may very well be the fact.
I suppose the element we all ought to no longer forget about is that he did have a quite extreme fall now not that lengthy in the past that caused a concussion.
Maybe he came lower back to work too soon, who knows?” Cramer instructed NBC News. “But once more, when you sit down down and feature a conversation with him, he’s sincerely quite sharp. I’d nonetheless believe his judgment over maximum humans’s that I recognise.”
CORRECTION (Sept. 6, 2023, 3:16 p.M. ET): A preceding model of this text misstated the country represented with the aid of Sen. Kevin Cramer. It’s North Dakota, no longer South Dakota.