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.
Mitch McConnell “continues to recover in the hospital,” his office announced Saturday, July 11, providing the same update it has been giving for weeks, even as new details emerged about the morning the senator was rushed to the hospital.
“As you can imagine, we are receiving messages from many people and will be sure to keep you updated as the senator continues his recovery,” a spokesperson said, as reported by WDRB and WAVE.
The spokesperson added that McConnell “appreciates the outpouring of support” and is “working closely with his staff on Kentucky and Senate issues while the Senate is in session.”
Saturday’s statement came as Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear continues to seek information about the health status of the state’s senator.
“Stop the crazy speculation. Just tell us what’s going on,” Beshear wrote in a social media post on July 11.
The 84-year-old Republican senator was hospitalized on June 14, but his office has not done anything beyond confirming that he is still receiving treatment. Weeks later, questions about what happened that morning remain largely unanswered by his team.
USA TODAY reached out to McConnell’s office for comment, but did not immediately receive a response.
Added by 911 call
Unanswered questions extend to the scene outside McConnell’s home on the morning he was hospitalized. CNN reported that one of the senator’s neighbors, who the news outlet did not name, captured video of the ambulance outside his home.
Audio from the initial 911 call appeared to indicate that McConnell was unconscious when emergency services arrived, and dispatchers called for advanced life support. It is one of the only concrete details revealed about the severity of the events that occurred that day.
Beshear renews its push for transparency
Bipartisan concerns have prompted calls for transparency, including Beshear, who has called on senators to speak publicly about their medical conditions. In a letter to McConnell’s office, the Democratic governor said Kentuckians are increasingly concerned about the senator’s health and asked him to share updates.
“I publicly and privately appealed to the previous administration to address the public’s concerns about the former president’s health,” Beshear wrote in a post on X on July 11, referring to former President Joe Biden, whose health has come under intense scrutiny.
“I am asking Senator McConnell to do the same and provide his constituents with updated information about his health,” the governor said.
Reporter Anthony Thompson can be reached at ajthompson@usatodayco.com or X @athompsonUSAT.
