A question about Mitch McConnell’s absence from the Senate took an unexpected turn when Thom Tillis brought Joe Biden into the discussion. The Republican senator was asked whether McConnell should step aside after spending three months away from Capitol Hill. Instead, Tillis compared the situation with questions that were previously raised about Biden.
Thom Tillis pointed to Biden when pressed over McConnell’s three-month Senate absence
Senator Thom Tillis referred to Joe Biden when asked whether Mitch McConnell should leave the Senate after a three-month absence from Capitol Hill.
As reported by The Daily Beast, Peter Alexander asked Tillis whether McConnell’s constituents would be better served by having someone else complete the remaining months of his term. Tillis replied, “I think it’s the same question people ask of Biden.”
Alexander then noted that Biden is no longer president, while McConnell remains a sitting senator. When he asked Tillis why McConnell should not also step aside, Tillis said, “Guess what? We’re following the bad advice of people who masked the fact that President Biden was not prepared to serve a second term.”
Tillis did not say that McConnell should resign and instead pointed to his upcoming retirement. “Mitch McConnell is retiring this year,” he said. He also defended McConnell. He said, “The difference between the Biden situation and the Mitch situation is I’ve had conversations with Mitch. That man’s brain is as sharp as it ever is. His body’s failing him because he’s had a lifelong struggle with polio.”
Tillis said he had spoken with McConnell a couple of weeks earlier and asked how he was doing. He said McConnell spent less than 30 seconds discussing his health before turning the conversation toward Ukraine, the Senate, and the filibuster.
McConnell has been absent from Capitol Hill for three months. There was almost no public information about his health before returning in mid-September while assisted by aides in a wheelchair. He has remained largely out of public view since his return.
