Mitch McConnell (R-KY) responded to calls for his resignation for the first time Wednesday since two episodes of blank staring that raised concern about his health. 

The 81-year-old Republican Senate leader said he has no intention of quitting before his term is over - but, cryptic as always, he had little more to add.

"I'm going to finish my term as leader and I'm going to finish my Senate term," he said.

McConnell responds to rumors

McConnell did not say whether his current term - which ends in 2026 - would be his last.

But he insisted he was in good health, declining to elaborate on what may have caused him to stare blankly mid-sentence on two separate occasions.

He cited the opinion of Capitol physician Brian Monahan, who cleared McConnell of any serious concerns.

"Well - I think Dr. Monahan - covered..." McConnell said.

"We'd like to hear from you," a reporter said.

"I know. You are hearing from me," McConnell said.  "I think Dr. Monahan covered the subject fully. You've had a chance to read it. I don't have anything to add to it. I think it should answer any reasonable question."

Senator Mitch McConnell after being asked if he will retire: "I'm going to finish my term as leader and I'm going to finish my Senate term." pic.twitter.com/RX8Lz8TXrI

— CSPAN (@cspan) September 6, 2023

Doubts linger

The senator's health saga has drawn attention to a frequent complaint among voters: Washington's leaders are old and out of touch.

President Biden, 80, is broadly perceived as unfit for his job. The oldest senator, 90-year-old Dianne Feinstein (CA), has responded to retirement pressure with fiery obstinance.

Republicans in the Senate - and Biden - have rallied behind McConnell, an old stalwart of the political establishment who has led the party's Senate conference since 2007.

McConnell and his allies have blamed light-headedness, an explanation echoed by Doctor Monahan, who said McConnell could be suffering from dehydration or the aftermath of a concussion from months ago. Monahan ruled out conditions like stroke, mini-stroke, Parkinson's, or seizure disorder.

But Senator Rand Paul (KY), a trained ophthalmologist, said the doctor's "obviously untrue" evaluation would cause more mistrust.

“It is basically not believable to come up and say that what’s going on is dehydration. It makes it worse in the sense that by saying something that is obviously untrue, it leads to more distrust of the situation,” he said.

Indeed, McConnell isn't going to reassure the public by pretending that he's fine, when that's clearly not the case.