Marjorie Taylor Greene Says Mitch McConnell's Family Should Be 'Ashamed'

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Giulia Carbonaro is a Newsweek reporter based in London, U.K. Her focus is on the U.S. economy, housing market, property insurance market, local and national politics. She has previously extensively covered U.S. and European politics. Giulia joined Newsweek in 2022 from CGTN Europe and had previously worked at the European Central Bank. She is a graduate in Broadcast Journalism from Nottingham Trent University and holds a Bachelor's degree in Politics and International Relations from Università degli Studi di Cagliari, Italy. She speaks English, Italian, and a little French and Spanish. You can get in touch with Giulia by emailing: g.carbonaro@newsweek.com.

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Georgia Republican Marjorie Taylor Greene has said that Mitch McConnell's family and his staff should be "ashamed" for letting the senator "remain in office" after he suffered a new health scare on Wednesday.

The Senate minority leader was attending a press conference in Covington, Kentucky, following an event hosted by the Northern Kentucky Chamber of Commerce when he froze for more than 30 seconds and appeared unable to talk.

After being asked by a reporter whether he thought he would be running for reelection in 2026, McConnell stood still with his mouth pursed and his eyes staring ahead for several seconds before being approached by an aide. Asked if he was all right, the 81-year-old senator responded, "yes," but appeared unable to formulate any other words. He later said, "I'm OK."

Mitch McConnell Marjorie Taylor Greene
Split image of U.S. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell on July 27, 2023 (left), and Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene on August 24, 2023, in Atlanta, Georgia. The Georgia congresswoman has suggested that McConnell is not... Getty Images

It was the second such incident in weeks, after the Kentucky senator—the longest-serving GOP leader in history—froze for about 19 seconds during an event at the U.S. Capitol in Washington D.C. last month.

This second health scare led Greene, a Donald Trump MAGA loyalist, to call for McConnell's resignation and condemn his family and staff for keeping him in his post.

"Severe aging health issues and/or mental health incompetence in our nation's leaders MUST be addressed," she wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter.

She then mentioned other politicians—all Democrats—who she thought should resign because of their age or health issues, including President Joe Biden and Senators John Fetterman and Dianne Feinstein.

"Biden, McConnell, Feinstein, and Fetterman are examples of people who are not fit for office and it's time to be serious about it," wrote Greene.

The issue of Biden's age—who is 80 now and would be 86 at the end of a potential second mandate—has been brought up consistently during his presidency, with many wondering whether the president would be too old for another run at the White House. Trump, who is the Republican frontrunner for the primary nomination, is 77.

Fetterman, 54, who was elected as Pennsylvania senator last year, suffered a stroke which led him to temporarily drop out of the midterms race before making a comeback. The health of Feinstein, 90, has been under close scrutiny recently as she suffered complications from shingles, including encephalitis, or swelling of the brain.

McConnell suffered a series of falls and a severe head injury earlier this year. After Wednesday's incident, a spokesperson for the senator said that he "felt momentarily lightheaded" during the Covington event, but did not provide any further details on his condition.

Greene blamed his staff and family for not asking McConnell to leave his post.

"These politician's staff and family members should be ashamed of themselves by enabling and allowing their loved ones to remain in office all to hold power," she wrote on X.

"We are talking about our country's national security and it's all at stake! 25th amendment and other measures need to be on the table."

Several people commenting on her post agreed with her, calling McConnell's treatment "elderly abuse." Others said that it is McConnell who should be ashamed for refusing to retire on his own.

Others, however, highlighted Trump's age, with one writing: "What's the age difference between Biden and Trump btw? Will this tweet soon include Trump, too?"

Newsweek contacted Greene's spokesperson for comment by email on Thursday.

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About the writer

Giulia Carbonaro is a Newsweek reporter based in London, U.K. Her focus is on the U.S. economy, housing market, property insurance market, local and national politics. She has previously extensively covered U.S. and European politics. Giulia joined Newsweek in 2022 from CGTN Europe and had previously worked at the European Central Bank. She is a graduate in Broadcast Journalism from Nottingham Trent University and holds a Bachelor's degree in Politics and International Relations from Università degli Studi di Cagliari, Italy. She speaks English, Italian, and a little French and Spanish. You can get in touch with Giulia by emailing: g.carbonaro@newsweek.com.

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Giulia Carbonaro is a Newsweek reporter based in London, U.K. Her focus is on the U.S. economy, housing market, property ... Read more