Mitch McConnell ‘continues to improve’ in hospital, working with staff
Sen. Mitch McConnell is continuing his recovery in the hospital and working closely with his staff, according to a new statement from a McConnell spokesperson.
“Sen. McConnell appreciates the outpouring of support he’s receiving while he continues his recovery in the hospital,” the spokesperson said in a July 2 statement. “The Senator continues to improve, and is working closely with his staff on Kentucky and Senate matters while the Senate is out of session.”
It’s the first update the public has received about the Kentucky senator in more than a week. Until the Thursday statement, it was unclear if he was still hospitalized.
Since McConnell, 84, was admitted into the hospital June 14, his team has released few details surrounding his health condition.
In a statement June 14, McConnell’s staff said he was hospitalized but did not give details about his condition at the time, other than to say he was receiving “excellent care.”
The last update the office provided was June 22, when spokesperson Stephanie Penn said he would not vote in the Senate that week but was working “closely” with staff as his health continues to recover. McConnell’s spokespeople continued to refer news outlets back to that statement until July 2.
This week, EMS radio traffic shared by media outlets reported that McConnell was “unconscious” at his home in Washington, D.C., before he was taken to the hospital.
Punchbowl News reported that a dispatcher directed an Advanced Life Support ambulance to McConnell’s address at 8:36 a.m. June 14.
First responders performed CPR on someone experiencing “cardiac arrest” at that address, according to NBC news.
McConnell, who is not seeking reelection this year, is in his seventh term and has held his Senate seat since 1985. From 2007 to 2025, he served as the leader of the Senate GOP. Barr and Democratic candidate Charles Booker are running in the November election to fill McConnell’s seat.
Booker released a statement Thursday afternoon calling for transparency about McConnell’s health. While Booker said he was sensitive to the personal nature of medical emergencies, “our entire commonwealth and country are vested” in McConnell’s condition.
Barr also released a statement and said “Kentucky is praying for a speedy recovery for Sen. McConnell.”
“I look forward to continuing to work alongside Sen. McConnell and President Trump to deliver for Kentucky,” Barr said.
