Republican leaders said they had spoken with him. Some House Republicans and Kentucky’s Democratic governor are calling for transparency about Mitch McConnell’s medical condition.
Sen. Mitch McConnell’s health: Here’s what you need to know
Sen. Mitch McConnell remains hospitalized three weeks later. USA TODAY’s Melina Khan reports on what we know and what we don’t know.
It’s been nearly a month since the Senate’s longest-serving leader, Mitch McConnell, was rushed to a hospital in Washington, D.C., but his staff and family remain tight-lipped about details.
To quell growing curiosity, top Republican leaders and CNN followers shared a recording of a lengthy phone conversation with the Kentucky Republican. Meanwhile, public speculation about his death and unsavory rumors like “Bernie’s Weekend” seem to have taken the internet by storm.
So what exactly is happening to the 84-year-old lawmaker who has been missing since mid-June?
Here’s a summary of USA TODAY’s latest coverage of McConnell’s health and related fallout:
Where is McConnell?
Press Secretary David Popp confirmed that Mr. McConnell was admitted to a Washington, D.C., hospital on the morning of June 14.
“He’s getting great treatment,” Popp said.
In the weeks since, Mr. McConnell’s office has released minimal details about what led to the senator seeking treatment. On July 7, his staff told USA TODAY that his health was improving.
“The senator continues to improve and is working closely with his staff on Kentucky and Senate issues while the Senate is out of session,” McConnell’s office said in a statement to USA TODAY.
“Senator McConnell is grateful for the outpouring of support he has received as he continues to recover in the hospital.”
What are Elaine Chao and the rest of the McConnell family saying?
Elaine Chao, who served as transportation secretary during President Donald Trump’s first term and labor secretary under President George W. Bush, has been married to Mr. McConnell for decades. On June 17, a few days after his hospitalization, the Chinese embassy in Washington, D.C., released a photo of Chao sitting with Chinese Vice President Han Zheng in front of a painting of the Great Wall in Beijing.
When news outlets learned that Chao had been overseas while McConnell was hospitalized, new unsubstantiated conspiracy theories spread.
He returned this week, and a spokesperson issued a release on his behalf to CBS News Channel in Louisville, saying, “The Secretary was on a long-planned trip to China to support his family’s philanthropic efforts. During the trip, he met with numerous people, including the U.S. Ambassador. The senator’s health does not require him to return to the United States immediately.”
Chao’s staff would not say to CBS WLKY whether she had been in contact with McConnell since her return. According to the newspaper, she left for a trip to China on June 12, just two days before McConnell was hospitalized.
Amidst the news, the Kentucky senator’s youngest daughter Porter McConnell also deleted X’s social media accounts, according to The Independent.
What McConnell’s allies have said about his health and subsequent memes
Amid calls for transparency and speculation about a cover-up, former Republican leaders released a series of statements, including from Senate Majority Leader John Thune, Senate Majority Leader John Barrasso, and conservative CNN commentator and McConnell ally Scott Jennings. CNN colleague Casey Hunt then asked Jennings to call the senator again on air, but Jennings did not respond.
Thune, Barrasso and Jennings each said they spoke with the senator in an effort to reassure anxious voters and political observers. But their remarks sparked a flood of related memes mocking that they also spoke to senators.
Democratic Kentucky governor calls for transparency
Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear (D) sent a letter to McConnell’s Senate office on July 8, noting that voters in the Bluegrass State are “increasingly concerned about the current state of your health and well-being and your ability to serve in the United States Senate,” and urging the veteran senator to “keep Kentuckians fully informed of your current health status.”
“As public servants, we have promised to do our best to represent our constituents and be transparent at all times,” Beshear said in a short letter. “I think this requires a clear communication of your ability to serve.”
Republican House members draw similarities to Joe Biden
House Republicans have also begun demanding transparency about McConnell’s health, reigniting debate over the disclosure of senior members’ ages and health conditions.
At least two Republican lawmakers said on social media this week that U.S. officials need to be upfront with voters about the long-term absence. Rep. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.) likened the long silence to what happened in the final months of the 2024 campaign, when former President Joe Biden’s mental acuity came into focus and ultimately forced him to drop out of the race. “If Mr. McConnell’s situation is as bad, if not worse, than Mr. Biden’s, then he needs to step aside,” he said in a July 9 post on X. “This farce cannot continue. We cannot demand of others” what we do not demand of ourselves. ”
Separately, Rep. Marlin Stutzman (R-Ind.) cited Biden’s poor performance in the 2024 debate against Donald Trump, which led to the then-president’s surprising withdrawal from the race.
What emergency dispatch audio shows about McConnell’s condition
An emergency medical services dispatch posted on social media by journalist Desiree Townsend shows that advanced life support was called to Sen. Mitch McConnell’s Washington, D.C. residence last month after a person was reported unconscious there, prompting an advanced life support response.
Townsend, who covers the Capitol as an independent journalist, posted the audio of the EMS dispatch call to her X account on June 30th. Emergency personnel can be heard calling for “ALS” (Advanced Life Support) on an unconscious person.
D.C. fire officials and emergency personnel told USA TODAY they could not confirm or comment on the authenticity of the audio recording, citing medical privacy laws.
McConnell’s medical history and recent health setbacks
The former Senate majority leader suffered from polio as a child. The former majority leader had faced a series of health challenges in recent years.
McConnell appeared frozen in place while speaking to reporters on two separate occasions about the 2023 incident. He also fell several times and began using a wheelchair from time to time as a precaution.
He was hospitalized in February after complaining of flu-like symptoms, a spokesperson said at the time. He was discharged from the hospital eight days later.
Contributors: USA TODAY’s Zachary Schermele, Phillip M. Bailey, Melina Khan and Drew Pittock; Lucas Allbach, Louisville Courier-Journal
