Mitch McConnell trips and falls after confrontation with protester on ICE policies

WASHINGTON, DC: Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell briefly st his footing and fell on Thursday, October 16, after a protester confronted him in the basement of a Senate office building.

The activist, identified as Stella, questioned Mitch McConnell about immigration policies implemented during President Donald Trump's administration.

Viral clip shows Mitch McConnell tripping

A video that went viral on social media shows Mitch McConnell walking down the hallway just before the incident. Stella asked, "Do you support ICE taking working people off the street and kidnapping them?" as McConnell tried to move away.

Moments later, he tripped and fell to his side. He tried to catch himself with one arm before a nearby staffer and a Capitol Police officer helped him to his feet. McConnell then steadied himself, smiled, and waved at bystanders before continuing down the hallway.

Mitch McConnell’s health concerns resurface

This latest fall adds to concerns over Mitch McConnell’s health. He survived polio as a child and has cited lingering effects in his left leg.

Earlier in 2023, Mitch McConnell tripped multiple times in public, once sustaining a concussion and broken ribs. In December 2024, he sprained his wrist and suffered a cut to his face.

Mitch McConnell’s team addresses latest fall

As concerns grew regarding Mitch McConnell’s health, his team said he is "all good." A spokespersontold The Hill that the Senate Minority Leader is "fine." The senator survived polio as a child and has noted lingering effects in his left leg from earlier incidents.

This is not the first time Mitch McConnell has tripped in public. USA Today reported at least three instances in 2023 in which he fell. One incident sidelined him for about three weeks, during which he sustained a concussion and broken ribs. In December 2024, McConnell sprained his wrist and suffered a cut to his face, and he also sustained minor injuries in February 2025.

Earlier this year, Mitch McConnell said he would not seek re-election in 2026. He is the longest-serving senator in U.S. history, first elected in 1984.

In a previous incident, McConnell fell after voting to confirm Scott Turner as Secretary of Housing & Urban Development, and Senators Steve Daines and Markwayne Mullin helped him back up. He appeared to be okay.

McConnell said in February, "Representing our commonwealth has been the honor of my lifetime. I will not seek this honor an eighth time. My current term in the Senate will be my last."

He has also been one of the few Republicans to oppose several policies of former President Donald Trump. McConnell added, "So lest any of our colleagues still doubt my intentions for the remainder of my term, I have some unfinished business to attend to. Regardless of the political storms that may wash over this chamber, during the time I have remaining, I assure our colleagues I will depart with great hope for the endurance of the Senate as an institution."