KY: GOV WANTS UPDATE ON MITCH MCCONNELL HEALTH
(CNN) — US Sen. Mitch McConnell has been hospitalized for about a month, and it’s still not clear why he was admitted or what his condition is.
Aides for the Kentucky Republican have been fiercely protective of his condition – publicly and privately – during his hospitalization.
Despite requests for updates from CNN, his office has not disclosed a medical reason for the hospitalization or provided specifics on his health status beyond saying last week that he “continues to improve” and “is working closely with his staff on Kentucky and Senate matters.”
The lack of information has sparked questions over McConnell’s health – and has led to speculation and rumors online that his health had significantly deteriorated.
A number of high-profile Republicans, including Senate Majority Leader John Thune, have put out statements in recent days asserting they have recently spoken with McConnell. McConnell’s office pointed to the statements and said, “as the senator continues to recover, we will be sure to keep you updated.”
When was McConnell first hospitalized?
The former Senate majority leader, who is 84 years old, was admitted to the hospital on the morning of Sunday, June 14.
Spokesperson David Popp said in a statement at the time, “Senator McConnell was admitted to the hospital this morning. He is receiving excellent care.”
What is the latest from his team?
McConnell’s office issued a statement on July 2 indicating he remained hospitalized. It has either repeated that statement or pointed back to it in response to subsequent inquiries.
A spokesperson said at the time, “Senator McConnell appreciates the outpouring of support he’s receiving while he continues his recovery in the hospital. The Senator continues to improve, and is working closely with his staff on Kentucky and Senate matters while the Senate is out of session.”
McConnell’s wife – former Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao – had been traveling in China but “the Senator’s health did not warrant an immediate return to the US,” her spokesperson told CNN.
“The secretary was on a long-planned trip in China to support her family’s philanthropic endeavors,” the spokesperson said. “During the trip, she met with a number of people, including the US ambassador. The Senator’s health did not warrant an immediate return to the US.”
Has anyone spoken with him since he’s been in the hospital?
A number of high-profile Republicans said on Tuesday that they had recently spoken with McConnell.
A spokesperson for Thune said the Senate majority leader spoke to McConnell by phone on Monday. “They had a lengthy and substantive conversation that covered a variety of topics including national security,” the spokesperson said.
A spokesperson for Senate GOP Whip John Barrasso said that he spoke with McConnell Tuesday for about 20 minutes and that the Kentucky Republican “was fully engaged and is eager to get back to the Senate.”
“They caught up about the latest news impacting Senate races, the Graham Platner scandal, and the recent Supreme Court ruling on coordinated spending limits. They also discussed the Senate’s July work period, including the need to pass the NDAA and confirm President (Donald) Trump’s nominee for Director of National Intelligence,” Kate Noyes, the Barrasso spokesperson, said in a statement.
CNN senior political commentator Scott Jennings also posted on X on Tuesday that he spoke with McConnell earlier in the day about a range of topics, including Iran, Ukraine and “even a little bit of Senate history.”
He later told CNN’s Kasie Hunt on “The Arena” that McConnell’s “voice sounded strong” and that it sounded like the senator was keeping up with the news.
Jennings said McConnell told him he was “feeling OK — obviously well enough to call me on the phone.” He said he did not know why McConnell was hospitalized, though.
Thune and Barrasso had also both previously said they had spoken to McConnell after he was admitted to the hospital. But those conversations have not ended the questions on his status. On Wednesday, Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear sent a letter to McConnell requesting that the senator, “fully update Kentuckians regarding the current status of your health.”
Trump told reporters Wednesday aboard Air Force One that he has not spoken with McConnell since the senator’s hospitalization. “I have no idea how he’s doing,” Trump said.
Do we know anything about what led to the hospitalization?
It remains unclear what led to the hospitalization.
Independent journalist Desiree Townsend shared an EMS audio recording on X earlier this month indicating that emergency responders were called to McConnell’s Washington, DC, home for an “unconscious” person the same day he was hospitalized.
In the audio, the dispatcher says the call is for a “cardiac arrest” and a paramedic is heard saying, “CPR in progress.”
McConnell’s name is not mentioned in the recording, but the address that paramedics responded to is known to be his. CNN has not confirmed the details of what dispatchers and medics described in the audio.
Asked at the time about the audio, a McConnell spokesperson said they would keep reporters updated on the senator’s condition.
According to a video of the incident and an eyewitness account, emergency responders took McConnell to an ambulance on a stretcher after being called to his home.
Does he have any known preexisting health issues?
McConnell is a childhood polio survivor. He has also faced a series of health issues in recent years. In March 2023, he suffered a suffered a concussion and broken ribs after a fall. Months later, he froze midsentence during a news conference. CNN later reported he had suffered two other falls earlier that year.
What has happened in the Senate since he’s been gone?
McConnell has missed some high-profile Senate votes during his hospitalization, including one to pass a major housing affordability bill and votes to check Trump’s ability to wage war in Iran. Trump ultimately did not sign the housing bill, which passed both the House and Senate and became law over his symbolic protest.
The chamber has also been in recess for parts of McConnell’s hospitalization. Senators have been working in their home states since June 29 and won’t return to DC until July 13.
This story has been updated with additional developments.
The-CNN-Wire
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