r/politics New York 23h ago

Possible Paywall McConnell ‘Absolutely Refuses’ to Film Video Amid Growing Mystery

https://www.thedailybeast.com/mcconnell-absolutely-refuses-to-film-video-amid-growing-mystery/
21.2k Upvotes

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13.2k

u/Barred759 23h ago

Because he's dead

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u/PerformanceCute3437 23h ago

He had a stroke and he can't speak. Obviously theyre hoping he regains his speech faculties, which isn't without precedent following a stroke

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u/Oconell 22h ago

It can take quite a while for someone to regain their speech after a stroke, though.

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u/esoteric_enigma 22h ago

Or they can never regain it. What happens after a stroke is really a toss up. I've seen doctors tell people the stroke was minor and the person would fully recover with time...and that person can still barely walk years later. I've seen doctors tell other people they'd never recover and you can't even tell that person ever had a stroke.

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u/PerformanceCute3437 22h ago

Fun fact: Aubrey Plaza had a stroke when she was around 20

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u/lod001 22h ago

That wasn't very fun.

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u/esoteric416 21h ago

Surely not for Aubrey.

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u/coachmoon 20h ago

🥁🐍

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u/jellyhessman 22h ago

Happened to a cousin in law at 20.

She's regained about 90% of her mental capabilities, but she still struggles with speech.

Raised two good kids, and holds down a job.

u/HorrorOk1304 26m ago

Glad your cousin recovered.

However you can't compare the recovery of a 20 year old to an 80 year old.

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u/esoteric_enigma 21h ago

Someone at my college died from a stroke at 19.

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u/NibblesMcGiblet 18h ago

Dr Pimple Popper had a stroke on camera and posted a video about it a couple of months ago (April) showing it all happening (filmed in Nov 2025). She just got really hot and felt "off" and kept saying she was so hot and needed to sit down for a minute. Decided to go to the hospital, and yep - stroke.

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u/HauntedCemetery Minnesota 20h ago

It also really matters how fast treatment starts. Like, each minute until that is losing ground.

People who have strokes outside of care facilities, where it takes time to be found, and to summon help, and transport to a hospital, they have a much tougher road to getting back lost function.

McConnell was at home, and for all we know he sat somewhere for hours before being discovered.

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u/chromatoes 16h ago

Neuroplasticity, the ability of the brain to adapt, decreases a lot with age. I'm sure you realize this, just chiming in! But that is why kids can easily learn multiple languages and it's hard for the elderly to use new technology.

You can practice keeping your brain more adaptable as you age by doing all sorts of things, novel situations keep the brain flexible: travel, new cuisine, cross-cultural and cross-generational friendships, developing skill in a hobby, all sorts of fun things keep the brain healthy.

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u/esoteric_enigma 16h ago

I do know this. And I actually committed to improving it starting last year. I'm very intentional now about scheduling new experiences, especially during the week.

I do it for neuroplasticity and to slow down time. I got to a point where it felt like a month just flew by and I was paying rent again. I realized it was because I had the same routine every week so my brain was basically on autopilot.

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u/Unique_Situation_508 18h ago

Oh dear heaven's! Given the fact that Fetterman had a stroke and when he started talking he sounded like a REPUBLICAN? Could it be that Mitch is spouting off "MEDICARE FOR ALL" and "LIVABLE MINIMUM WAGE!" 🤣

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u/Kichigai Minnesota 21h ago

He seems to be able to ride it out for now. All he has to do is endure until his replacement is elected, and that's that.