Questions remain about Mitch McConnell’s health

Questions about U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell’s (R-KY) health have been mounting as Tuesday marks 23 days since the former Senate majority leader has been hospitalized.

Emergency responders found McConnell unconscious in his Washington D.C. home on June 14. Audio of an emergency medical services (EMS) call published by journalist Desiree Townsend shows the 84-year-old received CPR after a possible cardiac arrest. The senator remains hospitalized. His office claims that his condition is improving but they have not clarified the reason for McConnell’s hospitalization.

The situation sparked rumors that McConnell’s health has significantly declined in the last few weeks, and that he won’t return to the U.S. Capitol (if at all). Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD), Senate Republican Whip John Barrasso (R-WY) and former advisor Scott Jennings pushed back on the rumors this week. Each said they had separate, 20-minute conversations with McConnell discussing a variety of topics, including Maine Senate candidate Graham Platner’s sexual assault scandal and the Iran War.

I spoke to my old friend Mitch McConnell this morning, the senior Senator from Kentucky. He’s still recovering in the hospital. We talked for just shy of 20 minutes … about IRAN, UKRAINE, the unfolding situation in MAINE, my visit to the TR Presidential Library, and even a…

— Scott Jennings (@ScottJenningsKY) July 7, 2026

McConnell’s wife, former Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao, went on a trip to China days after his hospitalization. Chao’s spokesperson told Fox News that the situation was not serious enough to return.

“The secretary was on a long-planned trip in China to support her family’s philanthropic endeavors,” the spokesperson said. “During the trip, she met with a number of people, including the U.S. ambassador. The Senator’s health did not warrant an immediate return to the U.S.”

McConnell’s health scares

The recent hospitalization is the latest in numerous health scares McConnell has suffered in recent years. McConnell fell five times from 2019-25. In 2023, McConnell missed six weeks after suffering a concussion and a minor rib fracture from a fall in his home. That same year, McConnell also froze while speaking on camera on two different occasions, on July 27, 2023 and Aug. 30, 2023.

NEWS: Sen. Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) appears to have another public health scare as he struggles to answer reporter questions. pic.twitter.com/gruqFWCYLc

— Heartland Signal (@HeartlandSignal) August 30, 2023

Kentucky Senate vacancies

Should McConnell step down due to his health or become incapacitated, the vacancy will be filled by a special election. In 2024, Kentucky implemented a new law stripping the governor of the power to fill U.S. Senate vacancies with Gov. Andy Beshear, a Democrat, in office. If McConnell vacates the seat before Aug. 3, Beshear can call a special election, with the winner holding the seat until January. If the Aug. 3 deadline passes, McConnell’s successor will be determined in the November general election.

McConnell has already announced that he will not seek reelection this year, with U.S. Rep. Andy Barr (R-KY) likely to win the seat. Democrat Charles Booker, a former state representative, is also seeking the seat.