Elaine Chao Returns From China After Mitch McConnell Hospitalization

Chao returns after hospital

Elaine Chao returned to the United States from China this week after her husband, Sen. Mitch McConnell, was hospitalized on June 14.

A spokesperson for Chao said in a statement to The Courier Journal, part of the USA TODAY Network, that "The secretary was on a long-planned trip in China to support her family's philanthropic endeavors."

The USA TODAY Network report said Chao left for the trip to China on June 12, just two days before McConnell was hospitalized, and that the Chinese embassy in Washington, DC, released a photograph on June 17 showing Chao seated beside Chinese Vice President Han Zheng before a grand painting of the Great Wall in Beijing.

NewsNation reported that Chao did not return immediately after McConnell’s hospitalization on June 14 and that it was unclear if she was in Washington, D.C., or if she had visited McConnell, who remained in the hospital.

In a statement to NewsNation, Chao’s spokesperson reiterated, "The Senator’s health did not warrant an immediate return to the US."

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Rumors, dispatch audio, calls

While Chao’s statement circulated, the NewsNation report said it was unclear if she had visited McConnell and that little had been said about why he was hospitalized. Fox News Digital reported that the White House did not respond to a request for comment on Laura Loomer’s claim that a "high level source close to the White House" said McConnell was "brain dead." Fox News Digital also tied the rumor cycle to leaked audio from an emergency dispatch call on June 14, the day McConnell was sent to the hospital, that revealed he was "unconscious" and may have suffered a heart attack.

The Daily Beast said an emergency dispatch call obtained by independent journalist Desirée Townsend included first responders being told of "CPR in progress" due to "cardiac arrest." Fox News Digital reported that Senate Republican leaders sought to quash the speculation, with Senate Majority Leader John Thune and Senate Majority Whip John Barrasso saying they were on the phone with McConnell in the last 48 hours and that Barrasso’s call lasted roughly 20 minutes.

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Health updates and stakes

McConnell’s office updates described improvement while keeping details limited, with WKYT reporting that the last public update from McConnell’s staff came on July 2 saying the "Senator continues to improve" and was working closely with staff on Kentucky and Senate matters while the Senate was out of session. WKYT said the previous update from June 22 confirmed McConnell was recovering but would not be voting on the Senate floor that week, and it also said a person was reportedly found "unconscious" at McConnell’s Washington home the day he was hospitalized. The Daily Beast reported that Stephanie Penn, a spokesperson for the senator, said in a statement from July 2 that McConnell is "working closely with his staff" but did not elaborate.

Beyond the immediate health mystery, the NewsBreak/Asian article said Kentucky’s Senate vacancy law under House Bill 622, passed by the Kentucky legislature on April 12, 2024, would fill any vacancy through a special election rather than a gubernatorial appointment, with the winner serving the remainder of the unexpired term. That same article said bill sponsor Steven Rudy argued that "the people should decide who a United States senator is by election always," while also noting that there is currently no Senate vacancy and McConnell’s office says he continues to work with staff on Kentucky and Senate matters while recovering.

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