Two climate activists dressed as detectives confronted staff inside Mitch McConnell’s Senate office over the Kentucky Republican’s prolonged absence.
In a video posted by Climate Defiance, founder Michael Greenberg and content creator Davidson Boswell roamed Washington, D.C., claiming they were investigating the disappearance of the 84-year-old senator.
“We’re detectives. We’re looking for Mitch McConnell,” one told passengers inside a subway car at the start of the video.
One passenger quickly responded, joking that “the gates of hell opened up for him, and that’s where he went to.”
The pair then walked out across the capital, questioning police officers, interrupting diners at a restaurant, and even stopping outside the right-wing Heritage Foundation, where Boswell remarked: “This is where they make racism. Maybe Mitch McConnell is in here.”
The stunt continued inside McConnell’s Senate office, where the fake detectives questioned staff.
“Sir, I’m looking for a man who has gone missing. His name is Mitch. He is from Louisville, Kentucky,” Greenberg said.
“Sometimes you start in the most obvious place. The truth can be where you most expect it.”
A staffer politely refused to disclose the senator’s whereabouts, replying: “I can’t give you the exact whereabouts of the senator.”
The duo also briefly approached Georgia Sen. Raphael Warnock to ask if he had seen McConnell.
“I have not,” Warnock replied. “I’m praying for him and his recovery, but I think people in Kentucky need to hear from their senator.”
The video sparked strong reactions online, with one commenter writing: “YOU ACTUALLY WENT TO HIS OFFICE?? Y’all got balls with this skit, damn.”
Another praised the opening exchange, adding: “That first woman’s joke about the gates of hell was phenomenal, no notes.”
Climate Defiance, a youth-led activist group founded in 2023, is known for disruptive direct-action protests targeting politicians and fossil fuel interests.
The stunt comes as questions grow over McConnell’s health. The senator was hospitalized on June 14 after emergency responders were dispatched to his home. Public dispatch records indicated CPR was in progress for a suspected cardiac arrest, though his office later released a statement attributed to McConnell saying he’d suffered a fall and subsequently been diagnosed with pneumonia.
Since then, McConnell’s team has released only a handful of photographs and repeated brief statements saying he “appreciates the outpouring of support” while continuing treatment. He has not appeared publicly or released a video message addressing constituents.
A CNN survey conducted in late July found that 65 percent of Americans believe elected officials should publicly disclose medical information that could affect their ability to serve, while 92 percent said it is a problem that one-quarter of Congress is age 70 or older.
