US Senator Chris Murphy suffers stroke days after condemning Trump's Iran war plans

Akbar Novruz

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US Democratic Senator Chris Murphy of Connecticut has been hospitalized after suffering a stroke, according to a statement issued by his office.

Murphy, 53, began experiencing numbness in his arm on Saturday while attending his son’s hockey game, his chief of staff, Allison Herwitt, said. He subsequently sought medical attention, and doctors confirmed that he had suffered a stroke.

The senator has since been transferred to Johns Hopkins for further monitoring and is responding well to treatment, according to his office.

“The doctors are encouraged by his progress, he is awake and alert, and we are optimistic he will make a full recovery,” Herwitt said in the statement.

Murphy, who was first elected to the US House of Representatives in 2006, has served in the Senate since 2013. He has become a prominent advocate for gun control legislation, particularly following the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in Connecticut.

A vocal critic of President Donald Trump, Murphy has also been mentioned by political observers as a potential Democratic presidential candidate in the 2028 election.

His hospitalization comes days after he publicly criticized the Trump administration’s military planning concerning Iran.

Following a classified briefing on potential US military action against Iran after the midterm elections, Murphy strongly condemned the administration’s reported plans.

“I will just say this: their plan is insane. It will lead to devastating escalation and the likely destruction of our commitment to the rule of law,” Murphy said four days before the announcement of his hospitalization.

His office has not announced when the senator is expected to be discharged from hospital or resume his official duties.