Scott Jennings suddenly seems much less optimistic about Sen. Mitch McConnell returning to the Senate when it reconvenes later this month.
Jennings, when pressed by CNN anchor Kasie Hunt about McConnell not being seen by the public in 80 days, also had to amend his answer about when he had last spoken with the 84-year-old Republican.
“I haven‘t spoken to him for several days, just to be clear. I know he‘s at home. I know he‘s still doing his recovery. The Senate goes back in on the 14th of September. I know they‘re fighting to get him back to work. I know he wants to go back to work, and I know he wants to finish his term, and it‘s his intention to do so. But there‘s two weeks between now when the Senate goes back,” Jennings began. “The man‘s a fighter. Overcoming polio proves that, and so my thoughts and prayers are with him. I hope he comes back to work. And there‘s some big, big issues coming up later this fall.”
Hunt followed up: “When was the last time you were in contact with him?”
“It‘s been several days. A couple of weeks,” Jennings replied, to which Hunt commented that that was a wide variation.
“I‘m trying to be precise. It‘s been—it‘s been a couple of weeks since I spoke to him,” Jennings said.
“And you say that you think that he intends to finish out the term that he has?” Hunt asked.
“Of course,” Jennings answered, adding a qualifier. “His intention is to finish his term, as far as I know. And his intention is to hopefully go back to work, and as you pointed out, this is his last term. There‘s a Senate race in Kentucky this fall, and one way or the other, his term will end in January.”
When asked if McConnell’s office needed to be saying more to the public, Jennings said they should.
“I think between now and the 14th, they need to tell the people of Kentucky his intentions on going back to the Senate floor. There‘s votes on the floor. There‘ll be votes in committee,” he said. “There‘s things coming up that are important to the people of Kentucky. So, yes, I think between now and the 14th, they need to make clear their intentions about what his capabilities are going to be when the Senate goes back into its session.”
Since McConnell’s June 14 hospitalization for what he said was a fall followed by pneumonia, his office has released two photographs of him with his wife, Elaine Chao.
McConnell was discharged from a rehab center on Aug. 6, his office said. That was the last time it released a statement.
McConnell has not given a phone interview or posted a video of himself, leading to speculation about his condition.
The Daily Beast has reached out for comment to McConnell’s office, which is led by longtime Chief of Staff Terry Carmack, who is set to make $226,000 this year.
