At age 84, Sen. Mitch McConnell is, at times, literally and unfortunately, stumbling through the final months of his storied 42-year career in the upper chamber.
And it has obviously left a lot of folks on Capitol Hill wondering just how much Mitch has left in the tank.
Accounts regarding the Louisville Republican’s health, which has at times relegated him to a wheelchair, have been widely documented. Last October he tripped on his way to a floor vote. It wasn’t the first time and at least this encounter didn’t result in any apparent injury. In February, he was hospitalized with what was described as flu-like symptoms that kept him away from the Senate for several days.
More recently, in a rather strange incident two weeks ago, McConnell’s old antagonist, President-cum-Dictator Donald J. Trump, rather oddly leapt to his defense, demanding that a staffer, Robert Karem, of Lexington, be fired for making McConnell “look foolish and completely out of it.”
It came during a hearing of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense, a panel that McConnell chairs. McConnell appeared to prematurely end the session, resulting in Karem reminding him that several lawmakers were still in line to question the witness, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, during the opening round.
McConnell appeared confused and responded, “Yeah, obviously there’s not a whole lot of time for a second round, so we’ll get through everybody and Sen. Murkowski, I’d appreciate your taking over.”
Trump decided to get involved in the incident with a post on his social media site, Truth Social:
“This was a case where Mitch wasn’t confused, he just didn’t understand why he was being asked to do something when it was too late, and people were wrapping up to leave – They wanted to go home.”
Just why Trump decided to stick his nose into the situation is open to speculation. It could be he actually was attempting to emphasize McConnell’s diminished abilities – he has belittled his long-time nemesis for years. It’s also been suggested he might hold a grudge against Karem, a former White House aide who he termed a “never-Trumper.’’
Regardless, there is a lengthy testament regarding McConnell’s health issues that goes back years. Most disturbing are the instances of McConnell, well, spacing out episodes, for lack of a better term, while speaking in public where he paused for long periods and stared off into space, seeming to not comprehend what was being asked of him.
All these issues have led to suggestions that McConnell retire and tend to his own well-being. That has been a non-starter from the beginning since McConnell, a political animal of the first order, could not stomach the current Kentucky governor, Andy Beshear, a Democrat, naming his replacement. And there is McConnell’s own ego, assured the United States Senate couldn’t survive without him over the span of seven months.
It’s fair to say the recent past hasn’t been particularly pleasant for McConnell. In addition to his health problems he is no longer the Senate Republican leader, a position he coveted and held for a record-breaking 18 years. And the Republican primary campaign to replace him was at least a small embarrassment — each of the leading contenders, including the eventual victor, Rep. Andy Barr, R-Lexington, and former Kentucky Attorney General Daniel Cameron, who worked for and was mentored by McConnell, turned their back on him as they sought to please Trump.
Despite all that, it’s worth noting that McConnell, on occasion, manages to find his footing through the twilight and make a difference.
McConnell has consistently been a strong advocate for Ukraine, probably that country’s biggest booster in Congress since Russia initiated hostilities for no recognizable reason in 2022. He has always sought to make sure Ukraine has the funds necessary to defend itself against the invasion.
Trump, meanwhile, has proved he is not a strong Ukraine advocate, seeking to strengthen his ties to Russia President Vladimir Putin and displaying diminishing interest in aiding Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
In late 2025, the Senate passed a $900 billion national defense measure that included $400 million for Ukraine, with another $400 million slated for 2027. The allotted money was intended to pay for the production of high-level weaponry produced by American companies.
McConnell determined that the Trump administration was slow walking the distribution of the funds. He reacted on April 28 with an op-ed in The Washington Post.
“Yet the Ukraine aid we passed months ago is now collecting dust at the Pentagon,’’ McConnell wrote. “When Senate appropriators have sought an explanation from the department’s policy shop, led by Undersecretary Elbridge Colby, they’ve been stonewalled. Our colleagues on armed services have also expressed growing frustration with the Defense Department’s inability to communicate.’’
“…if we’re keen on remaining the world’s preeminent superpower, we shouldn’t let unelected defense officials undermine U.S. leadership and obstruct deepening ties with Ukraine’s innovative military and industrial base. What gives?’’ he concluded.
One day later, Hegseth announced the money was on its way to Kiev.
“The department recognizes that $400 million was allocated for European capacity building, and as of yesterday, it has been released,” Hegseth said.
And while Trump has consistently badmouthed NATO, threatening to withdraw the U.S. from the defense group, McConnell has remained steadfast in his support, joining with Sen. Chris Coons, D-DE, last month to express his support continues.
“Americans are safer when NATO is strong and united,” the lawmakers said. “It is in our interest for all allies to tend this unity with care.”
During a stop at the University of Kentucky in April, as reported by the Lexington Herald-Leader, McConnell said, “Alliances are extremely important. NATO has been the most effective treaty of its type in the history of the world, 80 years old. I’m grateful that the members of NATO are increasing their defense spending. We all needed to do that. We do too to meet today’s threats.”
McConnell also has some accomplishments to point to on the domestic side, helping to secure $65 million for a medical research building at the University of Kentucky and $5.4 million for airport expansion at Lexington Bluegrass Airport and $10 million for the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport to modernize outdated equipment and install new passenger conveyance systems.
But his biggest contribution as he nears the last round-up may be just around the corner.
Trump, generally, has had his way with Republicans in Congress because they covet his support to gain re-election. Rep. Thomas Massie, R-SomewhereorotherLewisCounty came to understand that last week when a Trump-sponsored opponent defeated him in the GOP primary by 10 points.
Now, Trump wants a $1.8 billion slush fund, and there is simply no other way to describe it. The president-cum-dictator has referred to it as an “anti-weaponization fund,’’ to be used to compensate individuals who maintain they have been targeted by the federal government for improper and unlawful political, personal, or ideological reasons.
It is a settlement of some sort for Trump’s $10 billion suit against the Internal Revenue Service for illicitly leaking his tax returns between 2018 and 2020, showing that he paid only $750 in federal income tax in 2016 and 2017, and no income tax in 10 of the 15 years before his presidency.
“The machinery of government should never be weaponized against any American, and it is this Department’s intention to make right the wrongs that were previously done while ensuring this never happens again,” said Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche. “As part of this settlement, we are setting up a lawful process for victims of lawfare and weaponization to be heard and seek redress.”
Of course most of the dough is intended for Trump’s MAGA pals, including those who stormed and invaded the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, asserting that Trump was cheated out of a return to the White House after his first term. Those in on the assault, urged on by Trump, severely damaged the building, threatened lawmakers, injured any number of cops. Several people died as a result.
Trump has pardoned most of those involved in the attack. Now he wants to pay them for doing so.
McConnell has joined those who are against the ghastly pay-off, sticking another thumb in the eye of his old pal Donnie.
“So the nation’s top law enforcement official is asking for a slush fund to pay people who assault cops? Utterly stupid, morally wrong – Take your pick,” McConnell said after Blanche met with Senate Republicans to explain the fund.
In other words, McConnell doesn’t intend to give Trump what he wants.
Not everything McConnell has undertaken during his final month has come up roses. He has expressed continued support for the war with Iran, even opposing the imposition of the War Powers Act.
The war has not gone well and there’s no peace agreement in sight, costing billions of dollars and causing gasoline prices to soar. That doesn’t seem to bother McConnell much.
According to WVXU-FM in Cincinnati, McConnell visited Northern Kentucky in early April and told reporters, he believes regime change in the Middle Eastern nation is essential. The U.S. began air and rocket strikes against Iran Feb. 28.
“I support what the president is trying to do, and let me tell you why,” McConnell said. “They’ve been at war with us for 47 years. They’ve killed Americans, they’ve killed Israelis, they’ve killed throughout the region, our Sunni Muslim allies… they are bad guys.”
Regardless, it appears McConnell still has some gas in the tank. How much isn’t known.