Awkward moment an aging Mitch McConnell needs help from staff during hearing with Pete Hegseth

By STEPHEN M. LEPORE, US SENIOR REPORTER Published: 05:28, 13 May 2026 | Updated: 05:48, 13 May 2026 Mitch McConnell appeared confused when a staffer interrupted him because he tried to end a Senate hearing with Pete Hegseth before it was set to conclude. The former Majority Leader, 84, was part of a hearing of the Senate Committee on Appropriations on Defense that had been questioning the defense secretary regarding the War in Iran.  As McConnell was given the floor again after questioning by Alaska Republican Lisa Murkowski, he tried to end the hearing with Hegseth, much to his colleagues' confusion. 'Here's where we are, the vote is about over, the secretary has to get with the President on the China trip, I'm gonna' ask Senator Murkowski to wrap up and thank you all for being here.' Before finishing, he was interrupted by a younger, male staffer who could be heard whispering into his ear.  'Baldwin, Shaheen, and Kennedy still have questions,' the staffer said. He was referring to Wisconsin Democrat Senator Tammy Baldwin, New Hampshire Democrat Jeanne Shaheen and Republican John Kennedy.  The staffer can then be heard clarifying that the hearing should 'wrap up after' those questions.  Mitch McConnell appeared to try and end a hearing with Pete Hegseth long before it was set to conclude until a staffer had to set in Before finishing, he is interrupted by a younger, male staffer who can be heard whispering into his ear to clarify his mistake McConnell appears to crack a joke, saying 'you see what I'm being told here?' The staffer then comes over and whispers to the senator again, off mic.  'Yeah. Obviously, not a whole lotta' time for second rounds so we'll get through everybody and Senator Murkowski, I appreciate you taking over.' McConnell then appears to get out of his chair to leave with the help of the male staffer.  Murkowski thanks McConnell before returning to her questioning toward Hegseth.   The Daily Mail has reached out to a spokesperson for McConnell for comment. McConnell announced in February 2025 that he will not be seeking reelection to the Senate when his term is up at the end of 2026.  'Seven times, my fellow Kentuckians have sent me to the Senate,' McConnell said on the Senate floor.  The former Senate Majority Leader, 84, was part a hearing of the Senate Committee on Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense questioning the defense secretary regarding the War in Iran  McConnell has been spotted being pushed in a wheelchair by aides ever since a fall on Capitol Hill 'Every day in between I've been humbled by the trust they've placed in me to do their business right here,' he said.  'Representing our commonwealth has been the honor of a lifetime. I will not seek this honor an eighth time. My current term in the Senate will be my last,' he continued. McConnell, the longest-serving GOP Senate leader, first entered the Senate in 1985, but he has been battling a string of health issues and multiple falls in recent years. He also has earned the ire of Donald Trump and his MAGA supporters after a years-long feud. The Kentucky senator announced in 2024 he would not seek to remain the Republican leader.  It paved the way for a new GOP Senate leader for the first time since 2007 in John Thune.  McConnell has been spotted being pushed in a wheelchair by aides ever since a fall on Capitol Hill.  McConnell then appears to get out of his chair to leave with the help of the male staffer President Trump with McConnell while he was Senate Majority Leader in 2018. The pair worked together to pass some of Trump's priorities during his first term, but the Kentucky senator also received some of Trump's nastiest attacks A series of freezing episodes caught on camera in the summer of 2023 raised questions about his ability to seek another term.  McConnell made a name for himself as a tough opponent to President Obama during his two terms in office where he blocked key aspects of the Obama agenda and refused to hold hearings for the president's Supreme Court nominee ahead of the 2016 election.  When President Trump took office for his first term, McConnell was at times an ally and other times foe as the pair worked to pass legislation including the president's 2017 tax law. But the president took his frustrations out on the GOP Senate leader when he did not get his way in Congress.  Trump lobbed some of his nastiest attacks against McConnell after the certification of the 2020 election for President Biden further making McConnell a target of the MAGA movement. The president's wrath has continued into his second term as McConnell has voted against some of his controversial nominees and criticized his stance on tariffs. Trump told reporters he should not have been GOP leader and called McConnell a 'bitter guy' just last week.  In response to McConnell's announcement, Senate Majority Leader Thune said his legacy is 'one of remarkable service to the Senate, the Commonwealth of Kentucky, and our nation.' 'Over decades of tireless work, his mastery of Senate procedure, commitment to the institution, and dedication to the rule of law have shaped the course of American governance for generations to come,' Thune said in a statement.  McConnell's retirement from the Senate paves the way for a new senator from Kentucky, and several Republicans have already made their interest known.  A Republican strategist told DailyMail.com that while attacks could be leveled against GOP candidates for working with McConnell in the past, it would be hard to find one that hasn't had some relationship with him in Kentucky.  No comments have so far been submitted. Why not be the first to send us your thoughts, or debate this issue live on our message boards. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. 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