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Rehab, not cleared
Senator Mitch McConnell, 84, shared a new health update Monday after his office said he was hospitalized for a medical emergency and remains in rehabilitation care, adding that he is “not yet medically cleared to leave the rehab facility and return to the office.”
In the statement, McConnell said, “I’m still working hard to get back to my full schedule of work in the Senate and in Kentucky, keeping up with intense physical therapy per my doctors’ orders,” and he said the schedule means he “won’t be able to make it to Fancy Farm, Kentucky this Saturday.”
The Office of the Attending Physician said its physicians “visit with the Senator every day, discussing all aspects of his rehabilitation care,” and it described “multiple sessions a day designed to rebuild strength and reduce the risk of future falls.”
McConnell’s office also said his “bout with childhood polio continues to be a significant factor in his mobility,” and it said he is still recovering from a fall at home in June.
The update came about six weeks after he was initially hospitalized on June 14, according to Time Magazine, which said his office had initially shared few details and his absence from the Senate fueled speculation.
Speculation and transparency
Rumors about McConnell’s condition followed his hospitalization, with Us Weekly saying Laura Loomer, a right-wing activist and close ally of President Donald Trump, claimed the senator was brain dead.
In response to the speculation, Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, a Democrat, called for greater transparency, and Time Magazine quoted Beshear urging McConnell to “fully update Kentuckians regarding the current status of [his] health.”
McConnell later addressed the circumstances of his hospitalization, writing that his doctors confirmed that he “didn’t break any bones or suffer a concussion,” and he said he was “briefly unconscious and was taken to the hospital.”
He also said he had to deal with “a mild case of pneumonia,” while his office continued to provide updates as he missed voting sessions.
Straight Arrow reported that Monday’s update was “just the second since the 84-year-old senator fell in his home last month,” and it reiterated that he was not ready to return to the Senate floor.
Senate business at stake
McConnell’s continued absence from the Senate comes as lawmakers face a packed agenda, and Straight Arrow said the Senate is expected to vote on Trump nominees including those for attorney general and the director of national intelligence.
Straight Arrow also said Sen. John Thune is looking to fund the government ahead of the Sept. 30 fiscal deadline and is eyeing action on a Russian sanctions bill, while it noted Sen. Lindsey Graham’s funeral will take place in D.C. on Tuesday.
For McConnell personally, his office said he is “looking forward to getting back to the Senate and to Kentucky soon,” and it said he is working closely with staff on Kentucky and Senate matters while the Senate is out of session.
Us Weekly added that McConnell is currently on his seventh six-year term representing Kentucky and has previously announced that he will not run for an eighth term in 2026, with retirement set for when his current term ends in January 2027.
The same update cycle also tied his health to political events, with Time Magazine and Us Weekly both noting he would not attend the Fancy Farm picnic in western Kentucky and that the statement included his message about “feasting on pork and mutton.”
