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Senate Republican leader emeritus Mitch McConnell said Sunday that he was briefly unconscious after suffering a fall last month, offering his first public account of the medical emergency that has kept him away from the Senate for nearly four weeks.
In a statement accompanied by a photograph of himself smiling alongside his wife, former Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao, the 84-year-old Kentucky Republican said doctors have ruled out several serious medical conditions but have not yet cleared him to return to the Senate.
“My doctors have confirmed that I didn’t break any bones or suffer a concussion. I didn’t have a heart attack or a stroke. I don’t have any tumors or hemorrhages,” McConnell said. “But I was briefly unconscious and was taken to the hospital.”
McConnell added that he also developed a mild case of pneumonia during his hospitalization and has since been transferred to a rehabilitation facility, where he is undergoing physical therapy to regain his strength.
“I’ve submitted to every test my doctors can think of,” he said. “I’ll keep regaining my strength.”
Doctors cite post-polio mobility challenges
A statement released by the Office of the Attending Physician said McConnell’s fall was consistent with ongoing mobility issues related to childhood polio, which he survived as a young boy.
According to the physician’s office, McConnell “has experienced several falls throughout the year that have been attributed to his post-polio condition.”
“The remainder of his hospital stay focused on physical therapy and strategies to reduce his risk of future falls,” the statement said.
McConnell noted that mobility challenges have been part of his life for decades, adding that he understands public interest in his health while acknowledging his reluctance to discuss personal medical matters.
“You all know how folks of my generation often hesitate to share the vulnerability that comes with growing older,” McConnell said. “Even in the public eye, I feel that same instinct — I can’t help it.”
Questions surrounded hospitalization
McConnell was admitted to a Washington-area hospital on June 14, though his office initially declined to disclose the reason for his hospitalization.
Police scanner audio later obtained by NBC News indicated emergency responders performed CPR on a person suffering an apparent cardiac arrest at an address associated with McConnell. Sunday’s statement marks the first time the senator has directly addressed the incident.
His extended absence prompted growing questions from lawmakers, including Democratic Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, who last week publicly requested an update on the senator’s condition.
Senate absence affects Republicans
McConnell has not voted in the Senate since before his hospitalization, temporarily reducing Republicans’ working majority to 52-47 in the chamber as lawmakers continue negotiations over government funding and other legislation.
Despite remaining away from Capitol Hill, McConnell said he has continued working remotely.
“But rest assured that, in the meantime, I’m not taking a break from the Senate business that matters to you,” he said. “I’ve also been keeping in touch with my Senate colleagues on the appropriations process, midterm politics, and everything in between.”
Retirement plans unchanged
McConnell, who was first elected to the Senate in 1984 and served as Republican leader from 2007 through early 2025, announced earlier this year that he will retire when his current term ends in January.
He said Sunday that his health has not changed his plans to complete the remainder of his term.
“You’re right to expect your representatives to work hard for you,” McConnell said. “Part of my decision to retire at the end of my term this coming January was being honest about the demands of Senate work. But I still have unfinished business to complete on your behalf, and I have every intention of finishing the job you elected me to do.”
McConnell’s statement came one day after the death of Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., whose office announced Saturday that he died following what it described as a brief and sudden illness.
