Sen. McConnell is 'continuing his recovery,' but details are scarce after a lengthy hospital stay

[Omaha Steve]

Source: AP

By MARY CLARE JALONICK
Updated 1:33 PM CDT, July 6, 2026
Comments 1

WASHINGTON (AP) — Staff for Kentucky Sen. Mitch McConnell said last week that the senator is “continuing his recovery” in a hospital while the Senate is out of session. But his office has released no details about the former Republican leader’s condition during his weekslong hospitalization or whether he will be at the Capitol when the Senate returns next week.

McConnell was admitted to the hospital on June 14, according to a statement from his office that only said he was “receiving excellent care.” A statement a week later said that he would not be voting that week. And on Thursday, a new statement said that he “continues to improve” and ”appreciates the outpouring of support he’s receiving while he continues his recovery in the hospital.”

His office has not released any updates since then, and a spokeswoman did not return a request for comment on Monday.

The senator’s unspecified health issues come after several hospitalizations in recent years, and as Senate Republicans are already navigating a narrow majority in the final months before the midterm elections. McConnell, 84, was the longest serving Senate leader in history before stepping aside from that role. He is serving out his final term, which ends in January.


Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., arrives for a hearing at the Capitol in Washington, Tuesday, May 19, 2026. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File)

Read more: https://apnews.com/article/mitch-mcconnell-senate-illness-hospital-566a584e28137458111cd28ecfceaf8e

[bearsfootball516]

1. I think he's served his last days in the senate.

[Dulcinea]

2. He's probably on life support.

If he was dead, someone would have leaked that information.

[JT45242]

4. Can't believe that wasn't leaked either

Something is strange. Usually some shady news internet group.would have paid an orderly, food service person, etc for info by now.

Let's go TMZ pay off an orderly to get the real truth about mcturtle

[Miguelito Loveless]

10. I don't think they are called "orderlies"

any more.

[WestMichRad]

25. Another of my former jobs ...

that no longer exists, at least in name.

[SheltieLover]

3. He supposedly works for ppl in KY. Can they not demand answers?

Can anyone here not report to your boss under similar circumstances? How long would you keep your job?

[Marie Marie]

13. Oh you silly you. Republicans work for Trump first, the wealthy elite second, corporations third and

whatever the GOP demands of them fourth, the Christians fifth and then, oh - I don't know - maybe the people come in around sixth or so. But, yes, can you imagine if we tried to pull that off at our jobs while collecting a whole lot less pay and benefits in our absence.

[SheltieLover]

15. Correction: they work for pootin first

Jmo.

[Marie Marie]

36. Damn. I always forget about Pootie, the ventriloquist behind Trump the dummy.

[SheltieLover]

37. Yup.

Pulling those kompromat strings.

[onenote]

18. Hardly the first member of Congress of either party to miss substantial time

John McCain, Dianne Feinstein, John Fetterman, and Ted Kennedy come to mind.

[3Hotdogs]

22. That didn't work with N.J. Rep. Kean. He was missing for over 100 days without a word from his office or the

N.J. Republican Party.

[SheltieLover]

24. Too bad Moscow Mitch isn't a pregnant woman, then HIPPA wouldn't apply

[maxsolomon]

5. Oh you had a heart attack and are hospitalized for weeks?

OK, well, I'm going to head off to China, honey. See ya!

-E. Chao, loving wife and former Trump Cabinet Secretary.

[Ray Bruns]

6. Maybe his wife hates his guts as much as we do?

[maxsolomon]

14. Maybe?

Remember, Chao resigned after J6 because she's got PRINCIPLES!

Now she's representing the Trump Admin in China...

[SheltieLover]

16. Likely getting orders on her next target

[Ray Bruns]

7. The only way McConnell is going to recover this time.

[3Hotdogs]

23. Better choice - Essex County Zoo In N.J. has a sea turtle recovery tank.

Surely they can fix h'm up.

[Miguelito Loveless]

8. Cardiac arrest

and in a state requiring CPR has a very poor prognosis for someone his age. Think single digits.

They are keeping him on life support until to avoid a special election which they fear the would lose. They will announce his death after the deadline, which should be in August or September (Can't remember if it is 60 or 90 days before the election).

[Ray Bruns]

9. Gotta be. An 84 year old going into the hospital is ever a good thing

[johnnyplankton]

11. I'm wondering if 'continuing his recovery,' is shorthand for 'decomposing'?

[Botany]

12. He is 84, he had to be revived twice on June 14th, and he still is in the hospital on July 6th.

His heart is not getting any better and more than likely he is on some kind of cardiac and or
Pulmonary support. He has hurt America deeply with his actions that put party over country
from blocking President Obama’s Constitutional right to select somebody to be voted on by the
Senate for the SCOTUS, to helping to hide Russia’s interference in the 2016 election, and just in
his joy of being a prick. He is well past his pull date. Time to go Mitch. His blue lips tell the
story that his heart is not getting enough O2 rich blood to his body.

[Captain Zero]

28. He should die for blocking Obama's right to appoint

A SC justice.

Fuck Him All the Way to HELL


.

[rogue emissary]

17. It's weird Elaine Chao meet with Chinese officials three days after Mitch went to the hospital.

No one was asking or talking about his wife, and that trip was just disclosed a few days ago.

Mitch McConnell’s Wife’s Bizarre Move After CPR Drama Revealed
Elaine Chao was seen on a trip to China three days after her husband’s hospitalization.
Wiktoria Gucia
Updated Jul. 4 2026 1:02PM EDT
Sen. Mitch McConnell’s wife reportedly traveled to China just three days after he received CPR following an apparent heart attack.
Elaine Chao, 73, who has been married to the 84-year-old Republican lawmaker since 1993 and formerly served as transportation secretary in the first Trump administration, traveled to Beijing and met with Chinese Vice President Han Zheng just days after McConnell’s hospitalization. . . .

https://www.thedailybeast.com/mitch-mcconnells-wifes-foreign-travel-after-cpr-drama-revealed/

[Captain Zero]

29. She will come back and marry Grassley.

nt

[rogue emissary]

33. Ugh.

[The Wizard]

40. If his wife isn't there to pull the plug

and sign on to his certain death, they'll keep him on life support.

[eringer]

19. Yeah Keep Him Alive to See What Hell he Unleashed by His Actions

Then let him die.

[homegirl]

20. He is

hooked up to all the life support systems needed to keep his body from decomposing!

[onenote]

21. I have no idea what condition McConnell is in or whether we'll ever see him in DC again,

although I would be surprised if he did recover enough to come back.

That being said, however, the track record here on DU for predicting the imminent demise of Trump isn't that great.

[liberal N proud]

27. Weekend at Bernies

[dave99]

30. How does a brain dead corpse on life support recover ?

[aggiesal]

31. Why did his wife Elaine Chao supposedl fly to China, 3 days after going into the hospital & hasn't been seen since? ...

That's not too much of a red flag is it?

[LudwigPastorius]

34. "continuing his recovery"?...get real.

The dude is a potato.


]

[Aussie105]

35. 'Recovery' from what, exactly?

He will be sorely missed, and remembered for a long time.

So . . . who is/was he? Forgotten already.

84?
Why can't politicians retire at 65 like normal people?

[The Wizard]

38. Offshore money laundries where

the bribes go to hide.

[The Wizard]

39. His attack on Democracy

is anti American. He was court Martialed in the late 60s for immoral acts. He was working for a senator who had the records sanitized. The story was he and another GI in basic training were caught pleasuring each other in the shower. It got him out of combat in Vietnam. The record says he was feeling the effects of polio.