Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY), 84, revealed that another fall led to his recent hospital visit.
McConnell has been in the hospital for four weeks, but his office has only released a few vague statements.
Last week, Gov. Andy Beshear demanded answers about McConnell’s health.
McConnell’s statement (and please remember that politicians rarely ever write their own statements):
“To my fellow Kentuckians –“When you elected me to a seventh term and made me our Commonwealth’s longest serving Senator, you did so trusting that I’d keep showing up to fight for you every day. And over the past several weeks, Elaine and I have appreciated both your well wishes and your honest questions about what was keeping me away from the Senate.“You all know how folks of my generation often hesitate to share the vulnerability that comes with growing older. Even in the public eye, I feel that same instinct – I can’t help it.“But at the same time, I’ve had more than my share of experience with physical vulnerabilities. Surviving childhood polio meant spending my entire life with mobility challenges. They haven’t exactly gotten easier to manage with age. And last month, I took a fall which landed me in the hospital.“My doctors have confirmed that I didn’t break any bones or suffer a concussion. I didn’t have a heart attack or a stroke. I don’t have any tumors or hemorrhages. But I was briefly unconscious and was taken to the hospital. While receiving excellent care over the past several weeks, I’ve also had to deal with a mild case of pneumonia.“I can assure you that I’ve been a good patient. At my age, I tend to do what my doctors tell me to do. I’ve submitted to every test they can think of to help figure out what caused this incident. And I’m continuing to do everything they ask to speed my recovery. In fact, with signs of continued progress, I’ve been able to move from hospital care to a rehabilitation center where I’ll keep regaining my strength.“As much as it frustrates me, this process takes time. And on the advice of my doctors, I won’t be able to return to the Senate floor to vote quite yet. But rest assured that, in the meantime, I’m not taking a break from the Senate business that matters to you. I’ve been working closely with my legislative staff on current issues, and with my Kentucky team who help me provide timely constituent services across our Commonwealth. I’ve also been keeping in touch with my Senate colleagues on the appropriations process, midterm politics, and everything in between.“You’re right to expect your representatives to work hard for you. And part of my decision to retire at the end of my term this coming January was being honest about the demands of Senate work. But I still have unfinished business to complete on your behalf, and I have every intention of finishing the job you elected me to do.“I’ll keep working hard to get back on the Senate floor as soon as possible. And I’ll keep you posted on the progress of my recovery. Until then, I’m so grateful for your prayers and well wishes.”
I wonder if Sen. Lindsey Graham’s sudden passing convinced him to show proof of life.
The ambiguous statements from McConnell’s office led to conspiracy theories and anger.
Lara Loomer claimed a high-level source told her that McConnell “is officially brain dead.”
Senate Majority Leader John Thune and Sen. John Barrasso (R-WY) have disputed such news, saying they’ve spoken “with McConnell at length in recent days.”
Reporter Scott Jennings also said he spoke to McConnell:
I spoke to my old friend Mitch McConnell this morning, the senior Senator from Kentucky. He’s still recovering in the hospital. We talked for just shy of 20 minutes … about IRAN, UKRAINE, the unfolding situation in MAINE, my visit to the TR Presidential Library, and even a little bit of Senate history. I told him we want to see him back at work as soon as possible.
As I said in my previous post, if McConnell can hold these long, detailed conversations with people, then his office can provide them with a specific update.
After everything we went through with President Joe Biden, we deserve to know what is going on regarding the health of our representatives, especially their constituents.
The fact that McConnell has had numerous health issues didn’t help matters.
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