Sen. Mitch McConnell discusses health, rehab after hospital stay
GOP Sen. Mitch McConnell says a fall and pneumonia led to his recent hospital stay and that he is now in rehab to “keep regaining my strength.”
WASHINGTON – Sen. Mitch McConnell announced on Aug. 6 that he was discharged from a rehabilitation center, 53 days after the former Republican majority leader was rushed to a hospital and began an extended absence that raised significant speculation about his health and future in office.
The Kentucky senator, in a statement issued by his Senate office, said he plans to continue his recovery at home after he was discharged earlier in the day.
“Elaine and I are grateful for the many well wishes and support from friends, colleagues, and Kentuckians, and for the attentive care I’ve received from excellent doctors, nurses, therapists, and hospital staff,” McConnell said.
“On the advice of my doctors, I’ll maintain an intensive regimen of physical therapy from home during the state work period, and I’ll continue to engage with my staff and colleagues on important Senate business,” he added.
McConnell, 84, did not specify whether he would be returning to his home in Kentucky or Washington, D.C.
McConnell has not appeared in the Senate since being hospitalized on June 14 after a fall and pneumonia diagnosis. His office released few details about his recovery, prompting widespread criticism from Democrats and even some Republicans.
McConnell broke his public silence July 12 amid the absence, saying in a statement that he was hospitalized after experiencing a fall that left him briefly unconscious. His statement included a photo of McConnell and his wife Elaine Chao, former transportation secretary, in a medical facility.
In a July 27 statement, McConnell said he remained in “intense physical therapy” and would miss Kentucky’s annual Fancy Farm picnic, one of the state’s top political events.
McConnell, who opted against running for reelection in November for an eighth term, is set to end a 41-year career in the Senate on Jan. 3, 2027.
Under a change to Kentucky law that Republican lawmakers passed in 2024, a special election would be held to fill McConnell’s seat if he were not able to finish his term. Previously, Gov. Andy Beshear, a Democrat, held the authority to fill a Kentucky U.S. Senate vacancy.
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