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| - A user digitally altered an authentic video showing McConnell freezing up on July 26, 2023, at a news conference, but used editing software to add both the large bandage and the voice of a female reporter asking about his fall.
A rumor circulating online in December 2024 claimed a video showed U.S. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell wearing a large bandage around his forehead following a fall, and freezing up mid-sentence while delivering remarks at a news conference. In the clip, a female reporter's voice asks, "Senator, is your head ok after that fall?" The voice pauses, then asks again, "Senator?"
For example, on Dec. 11, a prominent user on X shared the video with a caption referencing McConnell's age of 82. The person wrote, "Who is refusing to let this man retire?" The user later deleted the post but not before it received thousands of views.
Another user on X posted (archived) the video and two photos showing McConnell with a small bandage below his left eye and a brace on his left wrist. The user wrote, in part, "The video is unreal and the photos show his injuries. He's still thinking about running again, too! I wouldn't vote for him, would you? This is crazy."
However, the truth was that a user digitally altered an authentic video showing McConnell freezing up during a news conference on July 26, 2023, then used editing software to add both the large bandage and the voice of a female reporter asking about his December 2024 fall. The fake clip received, in total, millions of views across numerous accounts on X.
A user on X supporting President-elect Donald Trump named il Donaldo Trumpo (@PapiTrumpo) indicated with a watermark in the lower-right corner of a post (archived) that he created the video. The user said of the clip with laughing with tears emojis, "WHO DID THIS???"
The lower-right corner of the video displayed a barely-visible watermark for X user @PapiTrumpo's website, ildonaldo.com.
A review of the authentic video from July 2023 showed McConnell freezing while delivering remarks, though without any bandages.
McConnell fell on Dec. 10, 2024. Citing Wyoming Sen. John Barrasso, The Associated Press reported McConnell tripped while leaving a GOP luncheon. The fall left him with a sprained wrist and a cut below his left eye.
On the following day, McConnell received help to walk while wearing a bandage below his left eye and brace on his left wrist, as shown in photos on the Getty Images website.
Politico then reported on Dec. 12 that a spokesperson for McConnell said he was working from home due to his "experiencing leg stiffness."
For further reading, we previously reported about other fake videos shared by the @PapiTrumpo user, including a clip of a child yelling a vulgar word at first lady Jill Biden, as well as others of Kendall Jenner, Taylor Swift and other famous people supposedly holding or wearing materials in support of Trump.
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