MN Gov. Dayton collapses during ‘State of the State’ speech

A shocking moment in the Minnesota state house:

Gov. Mark Dayton collapsed in the middle of his State of the State address Monday evening.

Dayton, 69, appeared to faint 45 minutes into the speech before a joint session of the Minnesota Legislature. He paused his speech and took a glass of water before collapsing onto the dais.

There were audible gasps from the assembled crowd of lawmakers.

He had stumbled when walking onto the dais to begin his speech and had several long pauses in the middle of the speech.

After a few minutes, Dayton was helped up and out of the chamber. The House’s sergeant-at-arms brought a basic first aid kit which included oxygen to Dayton, but the governor was helped up before the kit could be used.

House Speaker Kurt Daudt said the governor was “up and about in the back room.”

The governor is in our thoughts and prayers,” Daudt said. “I hope for a quick recovery.”

About half an hour after Dayton’s collapse, his son Eric Dayton said on Twitter that his father was doing better.

“I’m with my dad now and he’s doing great,” Eric Dayton said. “Thank you all for your kind well-wishes and words of concern.”

By: dave-dr-gonzo

David Hirsch, a.k.a. Dave "Doctor" Gonzo*, is a renegade record producer, video producer, writer, reformed corporate shill, and still-registered lobbyist for non-one-percenter performing artists and musicians. He lives in a heavily fortified compound in one of Manhattan's less trendy neighborhoods.

* Hirsch is the third person to use the pseudonym, a not-so-veiled tribute to journalist and author Hunter S. Thompson, with the permission of his predecessors Gene Gaudette of American Politics Journal (currently webmaster and chief bottlewasher at Liberaland) and Stephen Meese at Smashmouth Politics.