WASHINGTON — Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, a Democrat, called Wednesday for Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) to provide a public update on his health after the former Senate Republican leader was reportedly found “unconscious” and taken to a Washington, DC, hospital last month.
“Over the last several weeks, Kentuckians have grown increasingly concerned about the current state of your health and wellbeing, and ability to hold office in the United States Senate,” Beshear said in a message directed to McConnell’s office.
The governor urged McConnell to brief the public directly, writing, “As Governor, I request that you fully update Kentuckians regarding the current status of your health.” He added that elected officials owe their constituents transparency as part of their duty to represent them.
“I believe this requires clear communication about one’s ability to serve. We wish you a safe and speedy recovery,” Beshear told the 84-year-old senator.
Beshear, unlike governors in some other states, would not be responsible for appointing a successor if McConnell were unable to finish his Senate term in January.
Under a Kentucky law enacted in 2024, a special election would be required to fill the rest of McConnell’s term if he were forced to leave office by Aug. 3. Beshear vetoed the measure, but Kentucky’s Republican-controlled legislature overrode him.
Several Republicans have said they have been in contact with McConnell since his mid-June hospitalization, among them Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD), Senate Majority Whip John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) and CNN senior political contributor Scott Jennings, a former McConnell adviser.
Each of them characterized the conversations as substantial discussions on major political matters, including U.S. national security, the wars and tensions involving Iran and Ukraine, and the Senate contest in Maine, where Republican incumbent Susan Collins is being challenged by embattled Democrat Graham Platner.
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“Senator McConnell appreciates the outpouring of support he’s receiving while he continues his recovery in the hospital,” a spokesperson for McConnell’s office had said in a July 2 statement.
“The Senator continues to improve, and is working closely with his staff on Kentucky and Senate matters while the Senate is out of session.”
On June 14, EMS dispatchers discussed an “unconscious” individual apparently in “cardiac arrest” at McConnell’s longtime residence in Washington and sent an ALS, or Advanced Life Support, ambulance to the home shortly after 9 a.m., according to audio recordings first unearthed by the independent journalist Desireé Townsend.
McConnell’s wife, former Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao, was on a trip to China that morning, a spokesperson told Fox News Digital on Tuesday.
“The secretary was on a long-planned trip in China to support her family’s philanthropic endeavors,” the rep 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”
Chao, who served as Trump’s transportation secretary during his first term, has since returned stateside.
Right-wing critics of McConnell spread rumors online that he was “brain dead” and that GOP lawmakers were keeping his true condition hidden.
The third-oldest currently serving senator, McConnell had suffered falls that left him concussed as well as freeze-ups at public press conferences in the lead-up to the 2024 election.
The Kentucky Republican stepped down as Senate GOP leader in January 2025 after holding the position for 18 years.
In February, McConnell was briefly hospitalized for flu-like symptoms, but later recovered. Photos had since shown him being driven by staffers around the US Capitol complex in a wheelchair.
