Feast Your Eyes on a Brand-New Photo of Mitch McConnell

Senator Mitch McConnell has been absent from Congress for more than a month as he recovers from what he says was a fall. This week, the former Senate majority leader issued a rare new statement on his recovery and a second proof-of-life photo. But he gave no clear timeline for his return to Capitol Hill amid widespread speculation about the specifics of his condition.

The apparent motive for McConnell’s statement was to let everyone know that he will be forced to miss a prominent political event in his home state. “I’m still working hard to get back to my full schedule of work in the Senate and in Kentucky, keeping up with intense physical therapy per my doctors’ orders. Unfortunately, that means I won’t be able to make it to Fancy Farm, Kentucky this Saturday,” McConnell wrote — referring to the annual Fancy Farm Picnic that is a mainstay of Kentucky politics.

The statement included a new photo of McConnell smiling alongside his wife, former Transportation secretary Elaine Chao, an image that was purportedly taken on Sunday, per the release. The photo does not feature a copy of the current Washington Post, as his widely shared previous photo did:

Photo: Mitch McConnell

Once again, McConnell stopped short of providing details about his congressional return. “As always, I appreciate all of your continued well wishes, and I’m looking forward to getting back to the Senate and to Kentucky soon,” he said. His office also included a statement from Congress’s Office of the Attending Physician, which said its physicians “visit with the Senator every day, discussing all aspects of his rehabilitation care.”

“Since his discharge from hospital care, he has maintained a strenuous course of physical therapy and rehabilitation, including multiple sessions a day designed to rebuild strength and reduce the risk of future falls. His bout with childhood polio continues to be a significant factor in his mobility. He is not yet medically cleared to leave the rehab facility and return to the office,” the statement read.

But the last proof-of-life update only fueled rampant speculation online that McConnell is in worse condition than he’s letting on. And Kentucky governor Andy Beshear’s patience is growing thin. CNN obtained a letter that Beshear sent to McConnell Monday demanding that he provide information about his condition or resign. In the letter, Beshear said he’s addressing the letter to the senator directly “under the assumption that he is capable of reading and responding verbally, and not incapacitated by means of consciousness or cognition.” The governor continued, saying even the congressional Office of the Attending Physician’s statement “does not discuss your actual condition, including whether you can speak, reason, or carry out your duties as a senator.”

“As Governor of the state you serve, I am calling on you to directly and verbally address the people of Kentucky and provide proof of your capacity to serve, or resign,” Beshear wrote.

Beshear also said he would be sending a similar letter to Senate Majority Leader John Thune as well, writing that if McConnell is unwilling to prove his ability to serve, he will call on Thune to investigate his condition and “begin the process” of declaring McConnell’s seat vacant if necessary.

Under state law, if McConnell’s seat became vacant, it would remain so until a Senate special election is held. Kentucky’s laws around Senate vacancies have changed significantly in recent years as state Republicans approved legislation that dramatically decreased the role that the governor plays in such situations. Per the Kentucky Courier-Journal, a 2021 law would’ve required Beshear to appoint a replacement selected from a list of three names chosen by the previous senator’s party, a rule that would essentially block the governor from filling the safely-red seat with a fellow Democrat. A subsequent change in 2024 removed the appointment process all together, leaving the replacement process to the results of a special election.

In an interview with NBC News, Thune acknowledged having seen Beshear’s letter, but signaled that he sees the situation as a state issue and not one that requires his involvement. “I’ve seen that letter, but in any event, I think that’s an issue really that’s between Senator McConnell and the people of Kentucky,” Thune said. “I mean, if the governor wants to, I’m not sure what his prerogatives are in that case. But that’s where the issue should be resolved.”

On June 14, reports emerged that the 84-year-old senator had been hospitalized, his office confirming the news with minimal detail on his condition. “Senator McConnell was admitted to the hospital this morning. He is receiving excellent care,” McConnell spokesman David Popp said in a statement.

Emergency-responder audio published earlier this month suggested that McConnell was unconscious when paramedics arrived on the scene, signaling the senator’s situation was more severe than previously known. Additional published clips from the call believed to be for McConnell used the term “cardiac arrest” and suggested that paramedics were using CPR.

Though Popp issued an additional statement on June 22 confirming that McConnell would be missing that week’s votes, it wasn’t until mid-July that the public received a fuller update on the former leader’s condition. In a statement addressed to his constituents in Kentucky, McConnell confirmed that he was hospitalized following a fall and said he has since been released into a rehabilitation center, where he is currently recovering.

“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. But I was briefly unconscious and was taken to the hospital. While receiving excellent care over the past several weeks, I’ve also had to deal with a mild case of pneumonia,” he wrote.

McConnell said he’s been kept apprised of Congress’s ongoing business and that he looks forward to returning to the Capitol at a later date. “I’ll keep working hard to get back on the Senate floor as soon as possible. And I’ll keep you posted on the progress of my recovery. Until then, I’m so grateful for your prayers and well wishes,” he said.