An aloof Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY) was seen changing his vote after Republicans sitting next to him told him to do so.
McConnell returned to the Senate earlier this week, and on Wednesday, he was seen following the advice of other Republicans in the Senate Agriculture Committee during the markup of a bill known as Farm Bill 2.0. According to reporting by The Hill, the GOP-controlled committee narrowly passed the Farm Bill 2.0 with a 12-11 vote that would have been reversed if McConnell's initial vote hadn't changed.
In a video making the rounds on X, McConnell can clearly be heard voting "no" on the markup. The subtitles in the video even picked up the "no," but Republicans around McConnell, including committee chair Sen. John Boozman (R-AR), could be seen leaning in and murmuring right after McConnell voted against it. McConnell then changed his vote to "aye" after his initial vote stirred the Republicans around him. Boozman had also leaned in and whispered to McConnell before the voting started.
Democrats opposed the markup because of a provision that would require states to help cover the cost of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), according to The Hill. Boozman defended the provision by arguing that the intention was to give states "the help they needed, get them under control, where they didn't have the error rates of 20-25 percent," The Hill noted.
Online, observers called out McConnell's backtracking after Boozman leaned in. Progressive political commentator Mike Nellis reacted, "This is so ridiculous," in a post on X. Writer and editor Laura Bassett jokingly described it as "elder abuse."
"The great Senate Vegetable," jabbed Canadian radio host and political commentator Dean Blundell. "Wowsers."
Right-wing influencer Nick Sortor was alarmed too, writing that McConnell is "literally just a PUPPET SENATOR at this point."
After the vote, McConnell's X account put out a statement, reading, "I want to commend Chairman Boozman for his work on the Farm Bill...I was proud to vote yes on the Farm Bill on behalf of the hardworking farm families across Kentucky. America's farmers are the cornerstone of our nation."
This is so ridiculous https://t.co/4Gm6gXISin
— Mike Nellis (@MikeNellis) September 16, 2026