Queerty

Another super awkward video of Mitch McConnell just hit the internet

As one person puts it, McConnell is "like a sitcom that went far to many seasons."

Mark

Aug 10, 2023 - 20:01

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Another super awkward video of Mitch McConnell just hit the internet

Boo! Hiss! “Retire!” “Shame on YOU!”

Those were just a few of the things Mitch McConnell heard for five minutes straight as he delivered a speech before his own constituents at a political gathering in Kentucky last weekend.

The gay-hating, Trump-loving Senate Republican Leader was giving a speech at the 143rd Fancy Farm picnic when the crowd began chanting “Retire! Retire! Retire!” so loudly that it nearly drowned out his remarks.

The crescendo of boos only grew angrier as 81-year-old McConnell, who is Kentucky’s longest serving senator and a fierce opponent of all things LGBTQ+, continued to read his speech about how “excited” he was to be there.

Mitch McConnell is booed, and drowned out by chants of “retire, retire, retire”, for five minutes straight as he tries to talk to his own constituents in Kentucky. pic.twitter.com/zyZIHLJaoy— Mike Sington (@MikeSington) August 7, 2023

The Fancy Farm picnic happens annually and is known for getting rowdy. Republicans and Democrats square off to pitch to thousands of Kentucky voters, who often heckle the speakers from parties they oppose.

In McConnell’s case, however, the jabs and jeers seemed to come from both sides.

Eventually, the crowd pivoted from shouting “Retire!” to “Lost the Senate!”–referring to when the GOP lost its majority in the Senate in 2020 and then failed to gain it back in 2022–and “Shame on YOU!”

After finishing his remarks, McConnell and his wife, former Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao, smiled and waved to the angry crowd before exiting the stage.

Footage of embarrassing moment quickly spread on social media. In a statement to NPR, McConnell’s office tried brushing the whole thing off, saying: “It wouldn’t be Fancy Farm if Democrats weren’t heckling every Republican and vice versa – it’s been a very spirited event for decades.”

This is now the second time in recent weeks that video of McConnell has gone viral for all the wrong reasons.

Last month, while in the middle of speaking to reporters at a press conference on Capitol Hill, the senator froze for nearly 30 seconds before being ushered away from the podium to recover. He later insisted, “I’m fine”, but refused to talk about his health in any detail.

Odd moment: McConnell freezes at start of Senate GOP leadership press conference and is escorted to the side by his colleagues pic.twitter.com/hT5bLnstOS— Raquel Martin (@RaquelMartinTV) July 26, 2023

After the awkward moment was caught on camera, it was revealed that McConnell, who spent almost a week in the hospital after tripping at a dinner and suffering a concussion and minor rib fracture in March, suffered two other falls–one in July while disembarking from a plane at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport and another in February during an official trip to Helsinki–both of which went unreported.

Now, here’s what folx are saying on ~~Twitter~~ X…

Mitch McConnell is an expert at ignoring urgent problems right in front of his face, he's been doing it his entire career.— aka stardust (@a_k_a_stardust) August 8, 2023

Mitch McConnell was greeted with boos and retirement chants as he arrived at Fancy Farms picnic in Kentucky.

It’s time. pic.twitter.com/IOjr2rKE3w— Ryan Shead (@RyanShead) August 6, 2023

I love this song is it available on all streaming platforms?— AC Tatum (@actatumonline) August 7, 2023

Republicans really stick up for their own.

Y’all voted for him. He did what y’all wanted.— Jill Marie (@JillPhys1905) August 9, 2023

Just like always, ignoring his constituents and forging ahead with his own private agenda.— Michael DeCrow aka Dad DeCrow (@MichaelDeCrow) August 7, 2023