Democrat Rep. John Larson (D-CT) suffered a bizarre “medical incident” during a meltdown over President Donald Trump’s policies on the House floor.
After launching into a fiery tirade against Trump, Republicans, and X boss Elon Musk, Larson abruptly froze mid-sentence and started quietly mumbling in between long pauses.
The 76-year-old congressman was delivering a five-minute speech criticizing the Trump administration.
He was specifically accusing the Trump admin of an overreach involving access to sensitive Social Security data through the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), a program led by Musk.
During his remarks, Larson accused Trump and Republican lawmakers of working with billionaires to weaken government accountability.
Before suddenly freezing, Larson stated:
“Now [Trump] is saying he’s not even accountable to the courts because he and the billionaire class have gotten together and said, ‘Don’t worry, no one on the Republican side in the House and Senate who control both the House and Senate is going to speak up.’”
After several seconds of silence, he faintly muttered, “and challenge us,” in a strained voice before pausing again.
By the time he regained his composure, his allotted speaking time had expired, and he yielded the floor.
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Following the incident, Larson’s office issued a statement attributing the episode to an adverse reaction to a new medication.
The statement said that the congressman had undergone a medical evaluation as a precaution.
“Congressman Larson appreciates the well wishes from everyone who has reached out,” the statement read, according to CT Mirror.
“This afternoon, he had what was likely an adverse reaction to a new medication and is having tests administered by the House Attending Physician out of an abundance of caution.”
The statement further noted that Larson resumed attending multiple meetings in his office after the incident and remained alert and engaged.
“The Congressman remains in touch with his staff and in good spirits,” the statement added.
Later on Tuesday, Larson confirmed that he had a seizure on the House floor the previous day.
A statement from Larson posted to X reads:
“Yesterday, at around noon, I experienced a medical incident on the House floor, when my speech momentarily paused.
“Following the incident, I saw the House Attending Physician, Dr. Monahan, who referred me for further evaluation.
“After a round of tests, it was determined that the cause of the brief pause in my speech was a complex partial seizure.”
I am looking forward to getting back to work for the people of Connecticut's First District.
See my full statement below: pic.twitter.com/DGw6F2FqH9
— Rep. John Larson (@RepJohnLarson) February 12, 2025
Larson’s episode comes after similar incidents involving Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) in 2023.
In July 2023, McConnell froze for about 20 seconds while speaking at a press conference on Capitol Hill.
The senator was mid-sentence when he suddenly stopped talking and stared ahead before being led away by colleagues.
A month later, in August 2023, McConnell suffered another freezing episode during a press event in Covington, Kentucky.
He stood motionless for approximately 30 seconds while taking questions from reporters.
An aide approached McConnell to check on him, but he remained unresponsive before recovering a few moments later.
Larson has not commented further on the incident.
It remains unclear whether he will undergo additional medical evaluation.
