The Chris Murphy stroke news landed on a quiet Sunday, two days before a bitter midterm. Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., was hospitalized Saturday after a stroke, NBC News reports. His office says he is awake and alert, and doctors are encouraged.
We disagree with Murphy on almost everything. Tonight, that does not matter. The right response is simple: pray for his full recovery. The politics can wait.
Key Takeaways
- Murphy, 53, felt numbness in his arm at his son’s hockey game Saturday afternoon, his office said.
- A local hospital found a stroke, and he was moved to Johns Hopkins for further monitoring.
- His chief of staff says he is responding well to treatment and is awake and alert.
- His office is optimistic he will make a full recovery.
- He is not on Tuesday’s ballot, but he had been campaigning for Democrats across the country.
- Leaders in both parties, including Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley, have sent prayers.
What We Know About the Chris Murphy Stroke
Murphy’s chief of staff, Allison Herwitt, released a statement Sunday. “Yesterday afternoon, Senator Murphy started experiencing numbness in his arm while at his son’s hockey game,” she said. “He was taken to a local hospital, where it was discovered he had experienced a stroke.”
Herwitt added that he went to Johns Hopkins “for further monitoring and is responding well to treatment,” CBS News reports. She also said, “The doctors are encouraged by his progress, he is awake and alert, and we are optimistic he will make a full recovery.”
That is all his office has said so far, so we will not guess beyond it.
Murphy has served in the Senate since 2013 after six years in the House. Before the stroke, he was due in New Hampshire on Sunday to campaign with Rep. Chris Pappas. Meanwhile, many see him as a possible 2028 presidential contender, CNBC reports.
We Disagree With Him. We Pray for Him Anyway.
Murphy is one of the sharpest critics of President Trump and the GOP. He rose to national fame pushing stricter gun control after Sandy Hook. He has also opposed the war with Iran and the White House’s deportation policies. Just Thursday, he blasted Trump’s reported plan to possibly resume the Iran war after the midterms, NBC reports. We covered that plan in our look at a possible Iran strike after the midterms.
Frankly, we think he is wrong on guns, wrong on deportations and wrong on much of his agenda. Still, the Chris Murphy stroke is a reminder that illness does not check party registration. After all, Murphy is a father who was watching his son play hockey. That is the man in the hospital tonight.
As Christians, we are told to pray for those in authority, and that includes the ones we vote against. Notably, Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley posted that he and his wife are praying for Murphy as he recovers. Likewise, Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont said he and his wife are keeping Murphy and his family in their prayers. That is how it should look.
A Test of Character Two Days Out
This campaign has been brutal. More than 36 million Americans had already voted by Oct. 28, as our early voting report noted, and every race feels like a war. In Michigan, a Democrat crossed party lines in the Haley Stevens endorsement of Mike Rogers. In short, tempers are high on both sides.
So here is the test. If your first reaction to a sick man is a joke about his politics, step away from the keyboard. Of course, that goes for the right and the left. We would expect the same grace if a Republican senator landed in the hospital. Therefore, we should give it first.
Also, there is no reason for vacancy talk. In fact, the Chris Murphy stroke should not become a campaign talking point for anyone. Murphy is not up for reelection, and his own office expects a full recovery. The Chris Murphy stroke is a family’s hard weekend, not a political opening.
What the Chris Murphy Stroke Teaches Every Family
There is one more lesson here, and it could save a life. First, Murphy’s trouble started with numbness in his arm, and he was taken to a local hospital. According to the CDC, sudden numbness or weakness in the face, arm or leg, especially on one side, is a warning sign of stroke.
The CDC urges people to B.E. F.A.S.T. That means checking balance, eyes, face, arms and speech, and then calling 9-1-1 right away. In addition, the CDC says not to drive to the hospital. Instead, call an ambulance so treatment can start on the way. Every minute counts.
The Bottom Line
Politics will be waiting for all of us on Tuesday. For tonight, though, put the fight down. Pray for Chris Murphy and his family, and pray for the doctors caring for him. A country that can still do that across party lines is a country worth fighting for.
What do you think? Should both parties lower the temperature this close to Election Day? Tell us in the comments.
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