South Carolina Rep. Joe Wilson collapsed while attending an event in Washington on Tuesday and was quickly transported to the hospital, according to his office. The 77-year-old congressman collapsed during the event at Ukraine House to celebrate Ukrainian independence day. The Ukrainian ambassador had just started speaking when she stopped and asked for a doctor. He received medical treatment at the scene, according to multiple reports.
Wilson’s office confirmed on the social media platform X that he had “taken ill and is being evaluated at a local hospital in Washington, DC,” without providing further details about his health condition. Wilson is a senior member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, where he chaired the subcommittee on the Middle East, North Africa, and Central Asia. He is also a member of the subcommittee on Europe.
His son, South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson, said in an update on X that doctors have confirmed his father experienced “stroke-like symptoms,” but said that the congressman is in stable condition. “I just spoke to my mom who is currently at the hospital with my father,” he stated. “I was able to speak with him moments ago and I am incredibly thankful that he is stable and being monitored by medical professionals.”
South Carolina Rep. Nancy Mace wished him a speedy recovery. “Have spoken to the family and I ask we all send a positive vibe and a prayer his way tonight and may he recover as fast as humanly possible,” Mace said on X. Wilson had recently traveled to the Philippines and Australia with a bipartisan congressional delegation to discuss security challenges in the region and new pathways for U.S. engagement in the Indo-Pacific.
He has served as a representative of the second congressional district of South Carolina since 2001. Wilson gained national attention in 2009 for shouting “You lie!” at then-President Barack Obama during a joint session of Congress. (Reuters contributed to this report.)
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