There was so much stupid/evil stuff happening around American politics during the Independence Day holiday, but I didn’t want this story to fall through the cracks. For years now, Senator Mitch McConnell’s health has been on a steep decline. He’s had balance issues and cognitive issues by the looks of things. A few years ago, he kept freezing up and going completely silent during press conferences. He also had some big falls in public too. We hadn’t heard much about his health in the past year, but most people knew that he’s been doing poorly. Well, in late June, there was a 911 call at McConnell’s home, and the description given was that a man collapsed and was experiencing “cardiac arrest.” McConnell’s senate office tried to cover as best they could, confirming that McConnell had some kind of episode and he’s still being hospitalized:
Sen. Mitch McConnell remains hospitalized, his office said in a statement Thursday — without offering details about a recent medical episode that has renewed concern about the health of the former Republican majority leader. McConnell “continues his recovery in the hospital” and “continues to improve,” his office said.
“Senator McConnell appreciates the outpouring of support he’s receiving while he continues his recovery in the hospital,” the statement said. “The Senator continues to improve, and is working closely with his staff on Kentucky and Senate matters while the Senate is out of session.”
The statement did not explain why he was hospitalized last month.
The update comes after multiple outlets reported details of a first responder dispatch call indicating emergency medical personnel responded to McConnell’s home last month to treat an unconscious person who had experienced “cardiac arrest.”
POLITICO has not independently verified the dispatch call.
The 84-year-old senator, who is retiring at the end of this term, has experienced multiple medical incidents in recent years. On two occasions in 2023, he froze while speaking with reporters. He has also suffered multiple falls and temporarily used a wheelchair, a move his office described at the time as a precautionary measure.
So all of this happened last week. Then, just days after McConnell had a cardiac event so severe that 911 was called and his office is still trying to cover it up, McConnell’s wife Elaine Chao flew to China!! She really said… I’m not sticking around Kentucky to check on that turtle. There’s also a growing sense that the Republicans are going to Weekend-at-Bernie’s this situation because of Kentucky’s special election laws. Basically, they’re going to wait until mid-August to make any confirmation about McConnell’s health because they’re trying to avoid an internecine MAGA war over a special election to fill McConnell’s seat. The more you know!
Photos courtesy of Cover Images.
- United States Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (Republican of Kentucky) speaks to the media following the weekly Senate policy luncheon. McConnell stopped speaking in the middle of his opening remarks and was escorted away from the podium before returning to answer questions and saying, “I’m Fine” in the US Capitol in Washington, D.C. Featuring: Senator Mitch McConnell Where: Washington, District of Columbia, United States When: 26 Jul 2023 Credit: CNP/startraksphoto.com
- United States Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (Republican of Kentucky) speaks to the media following the weekly Senate policy luncheon. McConnell stopped speaking in the middle of his opening remarks and was escorted away from the podium before returning to answer questions and saying, “I’m Fine” in the US Capitol in Washington, D.C. Featuring: Senator Mitch McConnell Where: Washington, District of Columbia, United States When: 26 Jul 2023 Credit: CNP/startraksphoto.com
- United States Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (Republican of Kentucky) speaks to the media following the weekly Senate policy luncheon. McConnell stopped speaking in the middle of his opening remarks and was escorted away from the podium before returning to answer questions and saying, “I’m Fine” in the US Capitol in Washington, D.C. Featuring: Senator Mitch McConnell Where: Washington, District of Columbia, United States When: 26 Jul 2023 Credit: CNP/startraksphoto.com
- United States Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (Republican of Kentucky) speaks to the media following the weekly Senate policy luncheon. McConnell stopped speaking in the middle of his opening remarks and was escorted away from the podium before returning to answer questions and saying, “I’m Fine” in the US Capitol in Washington, D.C. Featuring: Senator Mitch McConnell Where: Washington, District of Columbia, United States When: 26 Jul 2023 Credit: CNP/startraksphoto.com
- United States Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (Republican of Kentucky) speaks to the media following the weekly Senate policy luncheon. McConnell stopped speaking in the middle of his opening remarks and was escorted away from the podium before returning to answer questions and saying, “I’m Fine” in the US Capitol in Washington, D.C. Featuring: Senator Mitch McConnell Where: Washington, District of Columbia, United States When: 26 Jul 2023 Credit: CNP/startraksphoto.com

















Running when your husband is at his end of his life and on life support (allegedly) screams secret spy to me… but I read a lot of spy novels 🤷🏻♀️
I thought the same. Her handlers called her back.
I hate to make accusations just because she’s of Chinese heritage. But she’s supposed to be a private citizen. Why meet with the vice president of China? 🤔
Several headlines say Chao met w/ China’s VP Han Zheng to “further strengthen US-China relations”. This, despite the fact that she’s no longer a US government official.
Sidebar: Check out Lisandra Vazquez YT channel. She has terrific impersonations from this administration; Karoline Leavitt, Melania, & a few recent Mitch/Weekend @ Bernies. She also does a great Kris Kardashian
The Chao trip makes an already bizarre situation even more weird.
I think he’s on life support. They won’t pull the plug until they have an air tight political strategy to get a Republican in that seat. But if he was in full cardiac arrest, you don’t come back from that at age 84 even if they restart your heart. This is the same party that kept a pregnant dead woman on life support for months so that they could deliver an unhealthy fetus, all against the wishes of the family.
I read he has to make it until August 2 so they can avoid a special election 🗳️.. that’s a very long time for a very old man who is rumored to have had cardiac arrest (it has a very high rate of death especially if a defibrillator is not immediately available) to be kept alive on life support… we shall see if that’s true eventually.
What happens *after* August 2 though? I can’t find the answer. It doesn’t seem that the governor has any kind of appointment power, so who decides who fills the seat?
I guess they are just without a senator until that normal election in November?
I hate when people call him a turtle. We shouldn’t disrespect turtles like that.
Schrodinger’s Senator. The way he stole Obama’s SCOTUS appointments, this is exactly how he wants to go out.