Facts about Mitch McConnell, his Senate career, and early life in Kentucky
Here are five things you need to know about Mitch McConnell, from his childhood battle with polio to his leadership tenure in the U.S. Senate.
Sen. Mitch McConnell has been hospitalized for nearly four weeks, raising questions and concerns about the longtime Kentucky senator’s health.
Just days after his hospitalization began on June 14, his wife, former U.S. Secretary of Transportation Elaine Chao, was photographed with Vice President Han Zheng in China, drawing scrutiny from some who questioned the timing of her trip.
Mr. Chao, 73, had a distinguished career in the Cabinet under two Republican presidents and has been married to Mr. McConnell for more than 30 years. Here’s what you need to know about her.
Who is Mitch McConnell’s wife, Elaine Chao?
Chao moved with her family from Taiwan to Queens, New York, when she was 8 years old. Her father, James SC Chao, founded the American shipping company Foremost Group, which was run by her sister Angela until his death in 2024.
Chao became a U.S. citizen at age 19 and later graduated from Mount Holyoke and Harvard Business School.
She married McConnell in 1993. In 2009, they established the U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell and Secretary Elaine L. Chao Archives at the University of Louisville, which will be expanded in 2025.
Elaine Chao’s political career
Mr. Chao became the first Asian American cabinet member in 2001 and served as Secretary of Labor under President George W. Bush until the end of his term in 2009. In 2017, he was appointed U.S. Secretary of Transportation during President Donald Trump’s first term, making him one of the few people in history to serve in multiple cabinet positions.
On January 7, 2021, Chao resigned following the January 6 attack on the Capitol, saying he was “deeply troubled” by the “traumatic and completely avoidable events.” At the time, Chao was the highest-ranking member of the government to resign, and the first cabinet member to do so.
In March 2021, the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Office of Inspector General released a report finding that Chao may have committed ethics violations while he was secretary, and suggested criminal prosecution. The Justice Department did not pursue the case.
In addition to his work in the White House, Chao served as president and CEO of the United Way of America, director of the Peace Corps, deputy secretary of transportation, and chairman of the Federal Maritime Commission.
Ethnic conflicts and relations with China
Throughout his relationship with McConnell and his time as transportation secretary, Chao has been the target of xenophobic rhetoric, racism and conspiracies surrounding his Taiwanese heritage.
In 2022, Trump repeatedly made racist comments about Chao on “Truth Social,” drawing intense criticism from many on the right.
“When I was younger, some people would intentionally misspell or mispronounce my name,” Chao said in a statement to USA TODAY at the time. “Asian Americans have worked hard to change that experience for the next generation. He doesn’t seem to understand that, but that says a lot more about him than anything about Asian Americans.”
The president’s anti-immigrant and xenophobic comments have also drawn a rare rejection from McConnell.
Foremost Group, run by Chao’s family, is a U.S. company with significant business dealings with China, which has drawn scrutiny from both the left and the right, where Chao has been accused of using his position as transportation secretary to enrich his family’s company. Trump has consistently accused Chao and his surrogate, McConnell, of loyalty to China and trying to “make money in China.”
Contact reporter Keely Doll at kdoll@courierjournal.com or follow X at @keely_doll.
