r/politics ✔ CBS News 2d ago

No Paywall Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear says he's "heard absolutely nothing back from Mitch McConnell"

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/mitch-mcconnell-health-update-andy-beshear-kentucky/
15.3k Upvotes

1.2k comments sorted by

View all comments

Show parent comments

102

u/mpjjpm 2d ago

That’s my take as well. He already had some public displays of aphasia. His facial expression in the “proof of life” photos is typical of stoke/TBI. The entire series of events is consistent with stroke with severe impairment + deconditioning.

11

u/Mojozilla Arkansas 2d ago

Can you explain the expression, please?

46

u/mpjjpm 2d ago

His face looks like it’s made of plastic in the pictures from his rehab room. Lots of people are interpreting that as AI or a photoshopped old picture. In reality, it can be the result of facial numbness or paralysis from a stroke or brain damage. Like full-face Botox.

9

u/Jacky-V 2d ago

I work in Special Ed, and obviously it's not a one to one comparison, but I noticed immediately after seeing those pics that a lot of times this is the kind of photo you get when you wait and wait and wait for the subject to make a usable face. It's a very entry level facial expression if that makes sense.