Mitch McConnell has finally shared a photo to put to bed rumors of his death being covered up, but the Kentucky senator still looks worse for wear.
The 84-year-old Republican released a lengthy statement on Sunday evening explaining that he did not suffer “a heart attack or a stroke,” but was taken to the hospital after a fall and was “briefly unconscious.” He said he subsequently “had to deal with a mild case of pneumonia” while recovering at the hospital.
McConnell also included a photo of himself in what appeared to be a hospital bed beside his wife, Elaine Chao, who has faced scrutiny over a trip to China during the Kentucky senator’s hospitalization.
In the photo, McConnell appears to be sitting on incontinence pads and to have a bruised left hand. He is holding Sunday’s print edition of The Washington Post.
“You all know how folks of my generation often hesitate to share the vulnerability that comes with growing older. Even in the public eye, I feel that same instinct—I can’t help it,” McConnell said in the statement.
“But at the same time, I’ve had more than my share of experience with physical vulnerabilities,” he continued. “Surviving childhood polio meant spending my entire life with mobility challenges. They haven’t exactly gotten easier to manage with age.”
McConnell, who has faced a number of health scares over the last year, explained that he would not be able to return to the Senate floor “quite yet,” but that he would continue working with his legislative staff and keep in touch with his Senate colleagues.
“I’ll keep working hard to get back on the Senate floor as soon as possible. And I’ll keep you posted on the progress of my recovery,” he concluded. “Until then, I’m so grateful for your prayers and well wishes.”
McConnell’s health has been a mystery since his hospitalization on June 14, with even the president himself saying he was unsure of the senator’s condition.
His staffers had repeatedly given vague answers about his health, saying only that the octogenarian lawmaker had been “fully engaged” in Senate business while recovering.
The senator’s top staffer, Terry Carmack, is reportedly set to earn over $226,000 this year.
Speculation has swirled over the last few weeks, with some reports, including one from far-right influencer and top Trump confidante Laura Loomer, claiming that McConnell was “brain dead.”
Independent journalist Desirée Townsend obtained emergency dispatch audio that revealed McConnell may have suffered a heart attack, where first responders on the scene of McConnell’s Washington, D.C. residence were told of “CPR in progress” due to “cardiac arrest.”
Some senators and other political figures close to McConnell, including CNN’s conservative commentator Scott Jennings, claimed they had spoken with him over the phone, though many were skeptical of the alleged calls.
Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear renewed his pleas on Saturday for the senator to be transparent about his health, calling for an end to the “crazy speculation.”
