WATCH: Top Democrat Seen Struggling To Walk

Since President Donald Trump’s unprecedented federal takeover of Washington, D.C., the city’s nonvoting member of Congress has been conspicuously absent from public life, largely refraining from commenting despite her consistent opposition to most of Trump’s agenda. But a new video of Eleanor Holmes Norton shows that the 88-year-old delegate may be in worse shape than Democrats are letting on.

Norton appeared hunched over, struggling to walk as she left the stage of a rally opposing more federal incursions into blue cities across the country. The sad sight came after she received a smattering of applause for her soft-spoken remarks.

Congresswoman Judy Chu (D-CA) spoke next, attempting to distract the crowd as the feeble Norton barely balanced herself after letting go of the podium. A congressional aide quickly rushed in to take her by the arm and lead her away from the scrum.

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Norton, who recently announced she intends to seek reelection in 2026, has mounted a backseat response as D.C. faces its greatest federal struggle in 30 years. The capital city’s self-described “warrior on the Hill” has been virtually silent since Trump sent National Guard and FBI officers into the city, nearly halving the city’s crime rate in a matter of weeks.

Following Trump’s takeover of the Metropolitan Police Department, Norton released a statement calling the takeover “counterproductive,” a “historic assault on D.C. home rule” and “more evidence of the urgent need to pass my D.C. statehood bill,” Politico reported.

However, apart from that statement, Norton has been less vocal than other House Democrats as Trump seeks to solidify his grip on Washington. Her approach in some ways mirrors that of Mayor Muriel Bowser, who on Tuesday signed an executive order instructing city officials to offer “indefinite” coordination with federal authorities.

Both women understand there is little they can do to stop the executive branch from asserting itself over the capital city, which does not enjoy the autonomy that comes with statehood.

A spokeswoman for Norton told the outlet that the elderly lawmaker is “working diligently with Mayor Bowser, city officials and her colleagues discussing how to support the District’s response and prevent further federal incursions against D.C.’s right to handle its own affairs.”

But her frail appearance has prompted more scorn on the right about the seniority of Congress, where the average age of members is 57.5 years for the House of Representatives and 63.9 years for the Senate as of early 2025. Many, like Norton, far exceed those figures.

Trump returned from the Labor Day weekend to host a press conference about his war on drug cartels, signaling he intends to push back against online rumors that his health is waning. He has been spotted in recent weeks with makeup covering bruising on his hands, which aides have attributed to excessive handshaking and chronic venous insufficiency, a condition that causes swelling in the hands and legs of older adults.