The Internet Is Buzzing About Mitch McConnell's Hands

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is blowing up on Twitter for a surprising reason. McConnell — who has represented the state of Kentucky in the Senate for decades, per CNN – is gaining major traction because of his hands. Attention was first drawn to the senator's hands in late October 2020 when one Twitter user cited the Associated Press, writing, "Uhhhhh look at this picture of Mitch McConnell's hands that @lizzyratner found on AP."

What Twitter users saw were close-up shots of McConnell's hands, which were swollen, bruised and bandaged in places. The same Twitter user followed up the initial tweet with an explanation of where McConnell was seen with his hands in such bad shape. She tweeted that McConnell had been photographed on Oct. 20, 2020, while speaking to the media in Washington, D.C. after a Republican policy luncheon.

So what's going on with McConnell's hands? More significantly, is there a health-related explanation for his bruised and bandaged hands?

Do people have a right to know what's going on with Mitch McConnell's health?

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell spoke with reporters on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. on Oct. 20, 2020, and photographers snapped shots of his hands, which were bruised and swollen. Twitter took note and in no time, the senator's hands were trending on the platform. However, some are looking at deeper issues that might be lingering beneath the surface. People are asking if McConnell — who became a senator in 1985, according to The Washington Post – might be too old for the position. (According to Britannica, he was born in 1942.)

One Twitter user wrote: "We have age minimums for serving in office, it's time for maximum ages and mandatory retirement." Other people wanted to know what's going on with McConnell's health and offered possible answers: "pure speculation, but people on blood thinners (say for afib) can tend to look like that after routine blood work. just speculation."

People noticed that McConnell had bruising around his mouth too and one person added, "Mitch McConnell needs to tell Kentucky what's up with his health." Others asked on Twitter if the bruising could be related to the coronavirus. With McConnell's bruising and Mike Pence's red eye during the 2020 vice presidential debate, the Republican party seems to be showing some worrisome symptoms.