- During a press conference on Wednesday, Mitch McConnell froze and stopped talking mid-sentence.
- In an interview with Megyn Kelly, Gov. Ron DeSantis addressed concerns about aging politicians.
In an interview on SiriusXM's "The Megyn Kelly Show" released Friday, the host asked Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis about the consequences of aging politicians holding office, referencing an incident in which Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell briefly appeared unable to speak during a press conference on Wednesday.
"It used to not be that way," DeSantis said. "You used to serve in your prime and then pass the baton to the next generation, and I think this generation has not really been as willing to do that. One of the reasons I'm running compared to Biden, I mean, my gosh, we need energy in the executive. We need some vigor, some vitality."
DeSantis, 44, also took a swipe at President Joe Biden's age, pointing out that Biden — now 80 and the oldest sitting president in US history — was elected to the Senate before DeSantis was born. Biden was elected as a senator from Delaware in 1972, when he was 29. DeSantis was born six years later.
"I mean think about how long, you know, he's been around," DeSantis added.
Nearly one in four members of Congress are in their 70s or 80s. Insider's "Red, White, and Gray" series explores the costs, benefits, and dangers of life in a democracy with a widening age gap between the government and the governed.
McConnell, who assured reporters that he felt "fine" and could do his job after he froze and stopped talking mid-sentence on Wednesday, is 81. A McConnell aide told Insider that the senator stepped away because he "felt light headed."
Watch the full interview clip here: