Senator Mitch McConnell Improving at Hospital While Working on Senate Business

Senator Mitch McConnell remains hospitalized nearly three weeks after being admitted following an undisclosed medical emergency, his office stated Thursday. The former Senate Republican leader continues to improve and is working closely with his staff on Kentucky and Senate matters while recovering from his hospitalization.

“The Senator appreciates the outpouring of support he’s receiving while he continues his recovery in the hospital,” said David Popp, a spokesman for McConnell’s office, in a statement released Thursday.

McConnell’s office has not disclosed the nature of his illness or identified the hospital where he is being treated. The update follows reports based on emergency dispatch audio that first responders were called to McConnell’s Washington home on June 14 for an unconscious person, with the audio referencing CPR in progress and a possible cardiac arrest. McConnell’s office declined to comment on those reports or confirm the circumstances surrounding his hospitalization.

McConnell, 84, has not appeared in the Senate since before his hospitalization. The chamber is in its Independence Day recess and is scheduled to return July 13. Earlier this month, Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-South Dakota, stated he spoke with McConnell and that the veteran lawmaker remained engaged with Senate business despite his absence from Capitol Hill.

McConnell stepped down as Senate Republican leader in January 2025 after serving for nearly two decades. Last year, he announced he would not seek an eighth Senate term, stating he would retire when his current term expires in January. The seven-term senator has experienced a series of health setbacks in recent years, including multiple falls, public episodes where he briefly froze while speaking, and an eight-day hospitalization in February for what his office described as flu-like symptoms. He has frequently used a wheelchair in recent months while navigating the Capitol.