What is going on with Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY)? That is the question being raised in Washington, D.C., and beyond after troubling rumors about the 84 year old’s health have emerged.
As reported on Thursday’s AM Update, Democrat Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear publicly called on the former Senate majority leader to provide a full update on his health after more than three weeks in the hospital with almost no information about his condition.
The governor sent a letter to Sen. McConnell’s office Wednesday arguing that Kentuckians deserve to know whether their longtime senator remains capable of serving them. “Over the last several weeks, Kentuckians have grown increasingly concerned about the current state of your health and wellbeing, and ability to hold office in the United States Senate,” Beshear wrote, in part.
The Hospitalization
The octogenarian was admitted to the hospital on the morning of June 14. His spokesman announced at the time only that McConnell was receiving excellent care.
But an emergency dispatch recording suggested the episode may have been far more serious, referencing an Advanced Life Support ambulance being sent to McConnell’s Washington, D.C., home shortly before 9am. First responders were apparently told CPR was in progress for a patient who was unconscious and possibly suffering cardiac arrest. McConnell’s office has not confirmed those details or publicly disclosed a diagnosis.
Two days after the hospitalization, Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) said during an interview on Fox News that he had spoken to his predecessor. “I spoke to him yesterday and he was in good spirits. I mean, he was very dialed in, paying attention to what’s going on, and indicated that he would be back soon,” Thune recounted.
That interview occurring about three and a half weeks ago. In the interim, McConnell’s staff has issued just one additional update on July 2 confirming that he remained hospitalized and was continuing his recovery.
The Conspiracy Theories
The prolonged stay and limited public information have fueled increasingly wild rumors online about the senator’s condition, including reports that McConnell is deceased, brain dead, and/or somehow trying to stymie the Trump administration with his absence.
Seemingly in an effort to combat the allegations, several prominent Republicans have begun to offer fresh assurances that they have personally spoken with McConnell and found him alert and engaged. Former aide and longtime friend Scott Jennings told CNN that the senator unexpectedly called him Tuesday morning:
“When the phone rang and I was able to talk to him, I was frankly pretty grateful. I mean, as I said, I’ve known him since I was a teenager. If it hadn’t been for Mitch McConnell and the McConnell Center at the University of Louisville, you know, I would never have been able to go to college. He’s been my mentor, and he changed the trajectory in my life. So, you know, when things happen to him and happen to people in your life that you really care about, you just sort of naturally feel extremely worried. So, when I heard his voice today, and he was clearly keeping up with stuff that made me happy to hear from him, because, like everybody else, I’ve been, you know, somewhat in the dark about it, but to hear him talking and know that he’s also talking to the Senate leadership made me pretty happy… All I can tell you today is all the rumors about him being dead, or brain dead, or, you know, his body’s being hidden somewhere. I’ve seen all kinds of crazy things on the internet, that’s obviously not true because he picked up the phone and called me and that was a good thing.”
Sens. Thune and John Barrasso (R-WY) also released statements describing lengthy conversations with McConnell. A spokesperson for his wife, former Labor Secretary Elaine Chao, also issued a statement amid questions about her travels to China while her husband is hospitalized.
“The secretary was on a long-planned trip in China to support her family’s philanthropic endeavors. During the trip, she met with a number of people, including the U.S. ambassador. The Senator’s health did not warrant an immediate return to the U.S.,” the Tuesday statement to local CBS affiliate WLKY read.
But there has still been no public appearance, recorded statement, or detailed medical update from the senator himself, and Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) summed up the remaining uncertainty on X. “Many of us aren’t speaking about Mitch McConnell’s condition because we know nothing about his condition,” he wrote.
Lingering Questions
The seven-term incumbent facing several health problems in recent years, including falls that led to a concussion and fractured rib, two highly publicized episodes in which he froze while speaking, and another hospitalization for flu-like symptoms earlier this year. He has also recently used a wheelchair while traveling through the Capitol.
McConnell has already announced he will retire when his current term ends in January. That makes the practical question of what would happen if his seat became vacant before then increasingly relevant.
As per a Kentucky law passed in 2024, the governor no longer has the power to appoint an interim senator and must instead call a special election to replace the outgoing senator. That means Beshear would have 30 days to call an election, and candidates would then have 49 days to consider running. In the meantime, the seat would remain vacant.
That timetable gets complicated, however, on or after August 3 because a special election would run into the already planned November general election. Seeing as it would be the first time this relatively new law is tested, experts believe the courts would need to weigh in on how to proceed.
Separately, Republican Congressman Andy Barr won the GOP primary to succeed McConnell in the regular November election and will face Democrat Charles Booker for the seat in a state President Donald Trump carried by more than 30 points in 2024.
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