“Elaine and I are grateful for the many well wishes and support from friends, colleagues, and Kentuckians, and for the attentive care I’ve received from excellent doctors, nurses, therapists, and hospital staff,” McConnell said.
After weeks of speculation about his health, McConnell – the longest-serving Senate party leader in US history – released a statement on 12 July saying he was “briefly unconscious” after a fall. Once admitted to hospital, he said, he “submitted to every test they can think of to help figure out what caused this incident”.
His office also released a photo on 27 July of McConnell sitting and smiling alongside his wife former Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao.
The limited communication and detail from McConnell and his office about his condition has continued to fuel a wide range of speculation about his state of health.
A polio survivor, McConnell has faced a number of health challenges in recent years.
In 2024, he was injured after tripping outside a Senate lunch event, and earlier this year he was admitted to hospital for flu.
He has said he will retire at the end of his term in the Senate in January.
