McConnell's staff breaks silence with new health update amid death rumors, transparency demands

WASHINGTON, DC: A spokesperson for Sen Mitch McConnell (R-KY) on Saturday, July 25, shared an update on the longtime lawmaker's health as questions continue to mount over his weeks-long absence from Capitol Hill.

Mitch McConnell has been absent from the Senate since June 14, when he was hospitalized following a severe fall that caused a brief loss of consciousness, alongside a subsequent case of pneumonia.

Mitch McConnell's spokesperson says he is improving

“The senator continues to meet with staff regarding Senate and Kentucky business, including discussions on defense appropriations, foreign policy, the farm bill, constituent services and constituent federal grant requests,” spokesman David Popp said in a statement to The Washington Post.

Popp added, “As the senator continues to improve in rehab, we will be sure to keep you updated.”

McConnell’s prolonged absence has sparked conspiracy theories and wild speculation, including a post from Trump confidante Laura Loomer claiming McConnell was actually brain dead.

Andy Beshear seeks updates on McConnell's condition

Kentucky Gov Andy Beshear (D-KY) has repeatedly called for more information, saying he has not received any direct communication from McConnell's office about the 84-year-old senator's condition.

Earlier this month, McConnell's office released a lengthy statement from the senator, along with a photo of him with his wife, former Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao, and a copy of The Washington Post's sports section dated July 12.

In the statement, McConnell said his fall did not result in any broken bones, heart attack, stroke, hemorrhage, or concussion.

He did, however, reveal that he was "briefly unconscious" before being taken to the hospital, where he has been recovering while being treated for "a mild case of pneumonia."

“I’ve been able to move from hospital care to a rehabilitation center where I’ll keep regaining my strength,” McConnell wrote.

The Washington Post noted that “McConnell’s absence has narrowed Republicans’ edge in the Senate, giving them an effective 52-47 majority as long as he is absent.”

Andy Beshear recalls calls reporting McConnell's death

Beshear claimed earlier this month he had received two calls from agencies suggesting McConnell had died while he was in the hospital.

“In fact, I’d gotten two calls from different agencies, not state agencies, suggesting he’d passed,” Beshear told journalist Katie Couric on her podcast.