Thom Tillis Tells Peter Alexander Mitch McConnell Is Mentally Fit — But His Body Is Failing Him

Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC) said that Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY) is mentally fit, but he admitted his body is failing him as MS NOW’s Peter Alexander pressed him on whether his longtime “mentor” should step down.

Tillis joined Alexander on State of Play on Tuesday as part of his promotional tour pushing his new book, How to Lose Friends and Antagonize Presidents, where he opens up about his behind the scenes tensions with President Donald Trump. Tillis has not held back criticism of the president and his administration as he nears the end of his term in January.

Alexander at one point asked Tillis about whether McConnell would better serve his constituents by stepping down amid growing concerns about his health.

“Why wouldn’t his constituents be better served if Mitch McConnell stepped down and let someone else serve out these waning few months of his term?” Alexander asked.

Tillis argued it’s the same thing critics said when former President Joe Biden was in office and concerns arose about his advanced age and mental capacity.

“I think it’s the same question that people ask of Biden,” Tillis said.

“Understood. But Biden, he is no longer the president. Mitch McConnell still serves,” Alexander said.

The MS NOW host then asked why Republicans couldn’t “lead by example” and call for McConnell to step down like they did Biden.

“Guess what? We’re following the bad advice of people who mask the fact that President Biden was not prepared,” Tillis said.

Tillis has described McConnell as a longtime mentor. He rents a carriage house from him in Washington, D.C., and he even named a dog after the Kentucky senator.

He argued that he’s spoken to McConnell and he’s mentally fit.

Tillis said:

Mitch McConnell is retiring this year. I ran into Mitch. 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 is failing him because he’s had a lifelong struggle with polio. Now people are telling me when I can have a coherent discussion with him — I met with him a week or so a couple of weeks ago. Mitch, how are you doing? He spent probably less than 30 seconds talking about that, and he immediately jumped to, what are we going to do to help Ukraine? What are we going to do to save the Senate and keep the filibuster? Does that sound like a man who’s not prepared to actually finish out his term?

McConnell, 84, was hospitalized in June after suffering a fall at his home. McConnell returned to work last month, but a lack of public videos, pictures, and comments have led to growing concerns among critics about his capacity to hold his office. The senator will be retiring at the end of his current term.

Watch above via MS NOW.

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