Sen. Mitch McConnell said his latest hospital stay followed a fall.
WASHINGTON — Sen. Mitch McConnell disclosed Sunday for the first time that he had been hospitalized after falling, addressing weeks of intensifying questions about the Kentucky Republican’s health.
In a statement, McConnell, 84, said he was “briefly unconscious” around the time he was initially taken to the hospital and has since undergone extensive testing to determine what caused the fall. He also said he was treated for mild pneumonia and has been transferred to a rehabilitation facility.
“My doctors have confirmed that I didn’t break any bones or suffer a concussion. I didn’t have a heart attack or a stroke. I don’t have any tumors or hemorrhages,” McConnell said, adding that he is now “regaining my strength.”
McConnell attributed his four weeks of limited public comment to a generational reluctance to discuss the frailty that can come with aging.
“Even in the public eye, I feel that same instinct — I can’t help it,” he said.
The senator said he does not plan to return to the Senate “quite yet,” but remains engaged with his staff on legislative matters. His statement was accompanied by a smiling photo of McConnell with his wife, Elaine Chao, an apparent answer to online rumors suggesting he had died or was incapacitated.
McConnnell’s disclosure comes after growing pressure
Since McConnell was hospitalized on June 14, his office had released few details, saying only that he was “receiving excellent care” and recovering. The lack of information fueled speculation to the point that Kentucky’s Democratic governor, Andy Beshear, took the unusual step last week of sending a public letter urging McConnell to provide a “transparent” update.
McConnell is retiring at the end of January after one of the most consequential careers in modern politics. Republicans have nominated U.S. Rep. Andy Barr to replace him, while Democrats have nominated former state lawmaker Charles Booker. He said he is determined to finish out his term.
“I still have unfinished business to complete on your behalf,” McConnell wrote in the statement addressed to Kentuckians, “and I have every intention of finishing the job you elected me to do.”
McConnell has a history of health problems
McConnell had polio in his early childhood and has long acknowledged some difficulty as an adult in walking and climbing stairs.
The physician’s office in Congress in the statement Sunday said McConnell has “experienced several falls through the year” due to his “post-polio condition.” The office said his physical therapy is aimed at reducing the risk of him falling again.
“A comprehensive evaluation by a multidisciplinary team determined that he had no fractures, cardiac abnormalities, stroke, tumor, or hemorrhage,” the physician’s office said.
McConnell was first elected to the Senate in 1984 and was the Republican leader from 2007 until last year, serving as both majority and minority leader during that period. He has remained active as a rank-and-file senator, showing up for work when the chamber is in session, often using a wheelchair to get around.
But the senator’s physical condition has visibly declined in recent years.
He was hospitalized with a concussion in March 2023 and missed several weeks of work after falling in a Washington hotel. He twice froze up during news conferences after he returned, staring vacantly ahead before colleagues and staff. A year later, he fell and sprained his wrist while walking out of a GOP luncheon.
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