US Sen. Mitch McConnell has been hospitalized for three weeks and it’s nonetheless not clear why he was admitted or what his situation is.
Aides for the Kentucky Republican have been fiercely protecting of his situation – publicly and privately – throughout his hospitalization.
Despite requests for updates from NCS, his workplace has not disclosed a medical motive for the hospitalization or supplied specifics on his present well being standing past saying final week that he “continues to improve” and “is working closely with his staff on Kentucky and Senate matters.”
The lack of knowledge has sparked questions over McConnell’s well being – and has led to hypothesis and rumors on-line that his well being had considerably deteoriated.
On Tuesday, nevertheless, in an obvious effort to pushback on these rumors, plenty of high-profile Republicans, together with Senate Majority Leader John Thune, put out statements saying they’ve not too long ago spoken with McConnell. McConnell’s workplace pointed to the statements and stated, “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’s 84 years previous, was admitted to the hospital on the morning of Sunday, June 14.
Spokesperson David Popp stated in a press release on the time, “Senator McConnell was admitted to the hospital this morning. He is receiving excellent care.”
What is the most recent that his team has stated?
McConnell’s workplace issued its newest assertion on July 2, indicating he remained hospitalized. It has both repeated that assertion or pointed again to it in response to subsequent inquiries, and did so once more on Tuesday.
A spokesperson stated, “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.”
Has anybody spoken with him since he’s been within the hospital?
A variety of high-profile Republicans stated on Tuesday that they’ve not too long ago spoken with McConnell.
A spokesperson for Thune stated the Senate Majority Leader spoke to McConnell by cellphone on Monday. “They had a lengthy and substantive conversation that covered a variety of topics including national security,” the spokesperson stated.
A spokesperson for Senate GOP Whip John Barrasso stated that he spoke with McConnell this afternoon 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 Trump’s nominee for Director of National Intelligence,” Kate Noyes, the Barrasso spokesperson, stated in a press release.
NCS senior political commentator Scott Jennings additionally posted on X Tuesday that he spoke with McConnell earlier within the day about a variety of matters.
“I spoke to my old friend Mitch McConnell this morning, the senior Senator from Kentucky. He’s still recovering in the hospital,” Jennings wrote, saying that they spoke about Iran, Ukraine and “even a little bit of Senate history.”
Thune and Barrasso had additionally each beforehand stated that they had spoken to McConnell after he was admitted to the hospital.
Do we know something about what led to the hospitalization?
It stays unclear what led to the hospitalization.
Earlier this month impartial journalist Desiree Townsend shared an EMS audio recording on X indicating that emergency responders had been known as to McConnell’s Washington DC house for an “unconscious” particular person the identical day he was hospitalized.
In the audio, the dispatcher says the decision is for a “cardiac arrest” and a paramedic is heard saying, “CPR in progress.”
McConnell’s identify shouldn’t be talked about within the recording, however the tackle that paramedics responded to is thought to be his tackle. NCS has not confirmed the main points of what dispatchers and medics described within the audio.
Asked on the time in regards to the audio, a McConnell spokesperson stated they might maintain reporters up to date on the senator’s situation.
Does he have any recognized pre-existing well being points?
McConnell is a childhood polio survivor. He has additionally confronted a sequence of well being points in recent times. In March 2023, he suffered a suffered a concussion and damaged ribs after a fall. Months later, he froze midsentence throughout a information convention. NCS later reported he had suffered two different falls earlier that yr.
What has occurred within the Senate since he’s been gone?
McConnell has missed some high-profile Senate votes throughout his hospitalization, together with one to move a significant housing affordability invoice and votes to verify President Donald Trump’s capability to wage warfare in Iran. Trump has not but signed the housing bill, which handed each the House and Senate. It is anticipated to develop into regulation if he doesn’t veto the laws.
The chamber has additionally been in recess for components of McConnell’s hospitalization. Senators have been working of their house states since June 29 and won’t return to DC till July 13.
NCS’s Lauren Fox contributed to this report
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