Sen. Mitch McConnell of Kentucky on July 12 released a photo from his hospital bed and a statement describing a June 14 fall that left him briefly unconscious, followed by what he called a mild case of pneumonia. The former Senate majority leader said doctors have not cleared him to return to the Senate floor to vote yet, but he intends to complete his term.
Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), the former Senate majority leader, issued a public update Sunday after weeks with little official information about his health.
In a statement released July 12, McConnell said he has been hospitalized since June 14 after a fall that left him “briefly unconscious.” He said that during his hospital stay he developed what he described as “a mild case of pneumonia.”
McConnell said he has stayed in touch with his staff and has also communicated with Senate colleagues while recovering. He added that doctors have advised that he is not yet able to return to the Senate floor to vote.
The statement was accompanied by a photo showing McConnell in a hospital bed alongside his wife, Elaine Chao, a former U.S. labor secretary.
McConnell’s statement also sought to rebut some of the speculation that spread online during his absence. He said doctors confirmed he did not break any bones and that he did not suffer a stroke or heart attack. He also said he did not have tumors or hemorrhages.
Separately, audio circulating from emergency dispatch traffic tied to the June 14 response at a property linked to McConnell referenced “cardiac arrest” and “CPR,” though the audio does not name McConnell and some outlets reported they could not independently verify the identity of the person involved. McConnell did not address those dispatch references in his July 12 statement.
Chao had drawn attention earlier in McConnell’s hospitalization after remaining on a planned trip to China. A spokesperson for Chao said at the time that the senator’s health “did not warrant an immediate return” to the United States.
