3
Mitch McConnell Freeze meme example.

Mitch McConnell Freeze at Press Conference

Part of a series on Viral Videos. [View Related Entries]

Updated Aug 31, 2023 at 09:47AM EDT by Owen.

Added Jul 26, 2023 at 09:08PM EDT by Owen.

PROTIP: Press 'i' to view the image gallery, 'v' to view the video gallery, or 'r' to view a random entry.

This submission is currently being researched & evaluated!

You can help confirm this entry by contributing facts, media, and other evidence of notability and mutation.

About

Mitch McConnell Freeze at Press Conference, also known as Mitch McConnell Frozen at Press Conference and Mitch McConnell Freezing During Press Conference, refers to two viral videos of U.S. Senate Minority Leader and Republican Congressman Mitch McConnell appearing to freeze mid-press conference in late July 2023 and August 2023. Search interest for "Mitch McConnell stroke" and "Mitch McConnell pooping himself" peaked after the video went viral on Twitter and elsewhere, mostly due to curiosity and concern about what happened to him with those two scenarios being perceived by many as potential outcomes. Health experts speculated that he suffered an absence seizure or dehydration. Discourse, memes and quote retweets surfaced en masse across social media going into the following days. His second freeze moment happened at a press conference in Covington, Kentucky.

Origin

On July 26th, 2023, at approximately 2 p.m. EST, Twitter[1] user @frankthorp tweeted two videos of Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell freezing in the middle of a press conference and then being escorted away from the podium. The tweet gained roughly 9.9 million views and 12,500 likes in one day (shown below).


Two minutes later on July 26th, Twitter[2] user @frankthorp replied to his first tweet[1] with an "update" video, showing McConnell coming back to the presser. The second video received roughly 3.3 million views and 1,400 likes in one day (shown below).


A few minutes after the aforementioned tweet on July 26th, 2023, Twitter[3] user @RaquelMartinTV tweeted a different angle of the event, including the full audio of McConnell's frozen moment. In the video, McConnell is seen suddenly freezing up mid-sentence and then being asked if he had anything else to say. Over the course of one day, the tweet gained roughly 6.3 million views and 6,300 likes (shown below).


On July 26th, after he returned to the presser, news reporters asked McConnell if he was alright to which he responded, "I'm fine."[11] Many reporters on the scene related McConnell's brief lapse to a fall he suffered months prior, which led many to concussion speculation.[11]

Spread

Each of the aforementioned videos achieved virality via quote retweets, replies and reposts on July 26th, 2023. Many internet users subsequently started to speculate about what had caused McConnell to freeze. For instance, on July 26th, Twitter[4] user @LauraLoomer asked, "Wow! Did he have a stroke?" in a QRT that gained roughly 4,400 likes in one day (shown below, left). Alternatively, Twitter[5] user @fart claimed in a QRT, "he was shitting. he was staring straight ahead like a dog taking a shit," gaining roughly 75,600 likes in one day (shown below, right).


Laura Loomer @LauraLoomer Wow! Did he have a stroke? 0:23 Raquel Martin @Raquel MartinTV. 19h Odd moment: McConnell freezes at start of Senate GOP leadership press conference and is escorted to the side by his colleagues Subscribe 2:27 PM Jul 26, 2023 536.1K Views : jon hendren @fart he was s-------. he was staring straight ahead like a dog taking a s--- Ken Klippenstein @kenklippenstein - 6h Mitch McConnell inexplicably freezes during press conference, is quickly escorted away 0:34 2:51 PM Jul 26, 2023 3.2M Views ●●●

Humorous reactions to the event persisted online going into the next day. For instance, on July 26th, Twitter[6] user @hungu1995 captioned the two videos tweeted by Twitter[1] user @frankthorp with, "Me: where the hoes at???" and "Me when the hoes show up" (akin to the Where the Hoes At? format), gaining roughly 126,800 likes in one day (shown below).


On July 26th, Bluesky [7] user yesitscolin photoshopped the Xbox 360 "Please reconnect controller" notification on top of McConnell, gaining over 880 likes in one day (shown below, left). Also on July 26th, Twitter[8] user @JUNlPER compared what McConnell saw to what the That Person Is Not Real woman saw in a tweet that received roughly 36,500 likes in one day (shown below, right).


Please reconnect controller T Pry pudding person @JUNIPER what if mitch mcconnell saw what she saw 5:28 PM Jul 26, 2023 1.1M Views . :

Viral posts persisted online going into July 2023, spreading to both Instagram[9] and TikTok, [10] among other platforms.

QAnon Reaction

On July 26th, 2023, Twitter[12] user @davenewworld_2 tweeted screenshots from a QAnon forum where users were discussing McConnell's frozen moment. Many of the users in the thread referenced the "horrible crimes" McConnell was imagined to have committed, as well as an imagined lack of adrenochrome (examples shown below). Twitter[12] user @davenewworld_2's tweet gained over 510 likes in less than a day.


26 When I look at his face and in the face of John Roberts, I know that both of these men have lived through horrific experiences. Whether they are complicit or not, you know these people have been kidnapped, ass, r----, and photographed having sex with children. These people are broken individuals, and on top of that... If any of them took the vaccine. They're completely screwed. But MK ultra is a strong drug. And he is definitely a victim of that. I'm not saying he's not responsible for his actions, I'm just saying these people... Especially John Roberts. You can see it in their faces. The fear! The shame! The emptiness! permalink save deport block reply Qbaby 3 hours ago +14/-0 14 Yes, you are right. They are guilty of horrible crimes, which they committed in exchange for who knows what. He looks like he saw the devil itself. 14 That's what happens when your supply of adrenochrome dries up and you haven't had your fix in a while. permalink save deport block reply 11 Aclemmo77 4 hours ago +11 / -0 He looks like he was having a stroke, possibly just throwing a clot. Turtle looks terrible. It's like they are all decaying in front of our eyes. permalink save deport block reply G45Colt 2 hours ago +3/-0 3 Some of them are growing old rather quickly. Remember his arrogant smirk when he was giving Trump that little not really sorry to see you go send off speech? permalink parent save deport block reply HardWorkinPatriot 1 hour ago +4/-0 4 Can't get their adrenochrome any more. permalink parent save deport block reply 3 G45Colt 1 hour ago +3/-0 There was something that was posted on GAW a while back suggesting the white hats intercepted a shipment of adrenochrome and tagged / poisoned it to trace the users who are paying for the human trafficking and torture of children. I hope it was true - they deserve nothing less.

Various Examples


teryn @youngtiddy. 18h i frowed up AND S STATE Glass Bead Gamer @GrillPillMax Me at the party after I throw up outside and come back for more alcohol 0:09 2 4:23 PM Jul 26, 2023 90.1K Views : @negroprogrammer god forbid a n---- take in the vibe regynald POP CRAVE Pop Crave @PopCrave 19h Mitch McConnell escorted away from cameras after freezing mid-news conference. 0:34 6:23 PM Jul 26, 2023 6.7M Views ● ●●●

Second Freeze Video

In late August 2023, Mitch McConnell appeared to freeze again in a video posted on August 30th, 2023, by X[13] user @HannahPThomas. The moment happened at a press conference in Covington, Kentucky, directly after a reporter asked McConnell about re-election. The post gained roughly 21.4 million views and 13,100 likes in a day (shown below).


Online Reaction

On August 30th, 2023, various users on X quoted the video and replied, sparking viral discourse and memes that continued into the next day. Some posed concern about McConnell's health and age, additionally referencing Democratic Senator Dianne Feinstein. For instance, X[14] user and political strategist @kurtbardella posted a Feinstein-related reaction, gaining roughly 5,900 likes in a day (shown below, left). Others on the app reacted more humorously, such as X[15] user @ByYourLogic, who called McConnell their "Senate Comfort Character," gaining over 6,800 likes in a day (shown below, right).


Kurt Bardella @kurtbardella This is painful to watch ... whether it's McConnell or Feinstein ... it should never get to this point where people are deteriorating before our very eyes. Nobody wants to be remembered this way. Hannah Thomas @Hannah PThomas 20h BREAKING NEWS: Sen. Mitch McConnell appearing to have another scary episode in the media gaggle in Covington today. Aides had to step in to help him out and repeat questions. He was eventually lead away. We'll have the full video on @WLWT WLWT5 0:40 : 1:32 PM. Aug 30, 2023 · 583.9K Views Could You Smoke This Whole Thing? @ByYourLogic AFJDJFKFLRLGHL HE'S SO SHY IT'S SO CUTE Senate Comfort Character 0:41 Hannah Thomas @HannahPThomas 20h BREAKING NEWS: Sen. Mitch McConnell appearing to have another scary episode in the media gaggle in Covington today. Aides had to step in to help him out and repeat questions. He was eventually lead away. We'll have the full video on @WLWT WLWT5 5:01 PM. Aug 30, 2023 446.2K Views : he'll always be my

Similar reactions surfaced in viral TikTok[16][17] videos on August 30th, continuing into the days that followed the incident.

Various Examples


Haus of Decline @hausofdecline Mitch McConnell now permanently looks like he took a sip from the wrong holy grail and the effects are just starting to manifest Hannah Thomas @HannahPThomas - 20h BREAKING NEWS: Sen. Mitch McConnell appearing to have another scary episode in the media gaggle in Covington today. Aides had to step in to help him out and repeat questions. He was eventually lead away. We'll have the full video on @WLWT WLWT5 0:39 2:01 PM. Aug 30, 2023 915.8K Views : C Justin Whang @JustinWhang 19h We're so close to getting a sequel for this gif II GIF TEX Hannah Thomas @HannahPThomas - 20h 0:46 36 BREAKING NEWS: Sen. Mitch McConnell appearing to have another scary episode in the media gaggle in Covington today. Aides had to step in to help him out and repeat questions. He was eventually lead away. We'll have the full video on @WLWT 103 1,966 ılı 132.2K jaboukie @jaboukie "what if we get caught?" "we wont." mitch said w a cavalier look in his eyes. he was ready to give it all up for me. my mission was complete, but i hadnt anticipated a double agent... Love. teary eyed, i throated the congressional member. when the question came, we both did. Hannah Thomas @HannahPThomas 20h BREAKING NEWS: Sen. Mitch McConnell appearing to have another scary episode in the media gaggle in Covington today. Aides had to step in to help him out and repeat questions. He was eventually lead away. We'll have the full video on @WLWT WLWT5 0:40 : 2:09 PM . Aug 30, 2023 1.1M Views

Templates



Search Interest

Unavailable.

External References

[1] Twitter – @frankthorp

[2] Twitter – @frankthorp

[3] Twitter – @RaquelMartinTV

[4] Twitter – @LauraLoomer

[5] Twitter – @fart

[6] Twitter – @hungu1995

[7] Bluesky – yesitscolin

[8] Twitter – @JUNlPER

[9] Instagram – @bileboye

[10] TikTok – @lisaremillard

[11] CBS News – McConnell freezes during news conference, prompting colleagues' concern

[12] Twitter – @davenewworld_2

[13] X – @HannahPThomas

[14] X – @kurtbardella

[15] X – @ByYourLogic

[16] TikTok – @pearlmania500

[17] TikTok – @marcus.dipaola

Related Entries 374 total


View All Related Entries

Recent Videos 7 total

 

Recent Images 42 total


+ Add a Comment

Comments (58)


Display Comments

Add a Comment


Howdy! You must login or signup first!