Watch: Mitch McConnell Heckled, Met with Chants of ‘Retire,’ ‘Ditch Mitch’

Voters welcomed Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) with chants of “retire” and “ditch Mitch” at the Fancy Farm picnic in Kentucky over the weekend.

Throughout the senator’s five-minute speech, people could be heard booing while chanting, “lost the senate,” “retire,” and “ditch Mitch.” McConnell maintained a straight face and kept soldiering through. Take a look:

The chants for McConnell to retire come weeks after he froze in the middle of a press conference for an extended period of time, ending with him being escorted off by concerned staffers. As Breitbart News reported:

McConnell — who at 81 years of age is the longest-serving party leader in the history of the U.S. Senate — went silent during his opening remarks at his regular press conference, according to video of the alarming moment.

“Well, good afternoon, everyone,” he said moments after walking up to the podium. “We’re on a path to finishing the NDAA this week. There’s been good bipartisan cooperation, as well as a string of, uh,” he trailed off.

As his tight-lipped, unblinking pause grew longer, Republican colleagues Steve Daines (MT), Joni Ernst (IA), Shelly Moore Capito (WV), Jon Thune (SD), and John Barrasso (WY) showed visible concern.

A McConnell staffer later revealed that he had suffered from some lightheadedness. The 81-year-old did eventually return to the podium where he said the president checked on his well-being, prompting his “sandbagged” joke.

“The president called to check on me. I told him I got sandbagged,” McConnell said.

When reporters asked him how he felt and if he planned to see a doctor, McConnell repeatedly said, “I’m fine.”

Watch: Mitch McConnell Freezes Mid-Speech, Led Away from Podium

C-SPAN

Shortly after the incident, reports surfaced that McConnell tripped and fell while disembarking a plane earlier that month, weeks before his unfortunate freeze incident.

Two sources familiar with the fall incident confirmed to NBC News that it happened at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, adding that he sustained no serious injuries and resumed business as usual that day.

“The fall, which has not been previously reported, occurred July 14 after the flight out of Washington was canceled while everyone was on board,” NBC noted. “McConnell who was a passenger, had a ‘face plant,’ someone who was on the plane at the time but did not witness the fall told NBC News. That passenger also said they spoke to another passenger who helped tend to McConnell.”

The U.S. senator has resorted to using a wheelchair when navigating crowded airports as a precaution. A survivor of polio, he has a history of difficult falls and “sustained a concussion and a cracked rib in a fall in Washington this year,” causing him to spend six weeks away from the Senate.

Speaking with Breitbart News, former President Trump said should he step down and focus on his health.

“We have to have that,” Trump said. “No, we have to have that. We have some people in the Senate that are fantastic and would be great at that position. But it’s just amazing he [McConnell] would do that — but at the same time, I hope he’s well.”

Paul Roland Bois joined Breitbart News in 2021. He also directed the award-winning feature film, EXEMPLUM, which can be viewed for FREE on YouTube or Tubi. A high-quality, ad-free stream can also be purchased on Google Play or Vimeo on Demand. Follow him on Twitter @prolandfilms or Instagram @prolandfilms.