Sen. McConnell details hospitalization, says recovery continues
WASHINGTON (WNKY) – U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell is providing new details about the health issues that have kept him away from the Senate for the past several weeks, saying he remains focused on serving Kentucky while continuing rehabilitation.
In a statement released by McConnell’s team Sunday, the Kentucky Republican said he was hospitalized after a fall at home last month that left him briefly unconscious. McConnell said doctors determined he did not suffer any broken bones, a concussion, heart attack, stroke, tumor or hemorrhage.
Image: Sen. McConnell and his wife, Elaine Chao with July 12 Washington Post Sports in his hand (Credit: Senator Mitch McConnell)
“But I was briefly unconscious and was taken to the hospital,” McConnell said. “While receiving excellent care over the past several weeks, I’ve also had to deal with a mild case of pneumonia.”
McConnell said he has since been transferred from the hospital to a rehabilitation center, where he is continuing physical therapy and working to regain his strength.
“I can assure you that I’ve been a good patient,” he said. “At my age, I tend to do what my doctors tell me to do.”
The longtime senator said his recovery is progressing, but doctors have advised him not to return to the Senate floor to vote yet. He emphasized, however, that he has continued working with his legislative staff, Kentucky constituent services team and Senate colleagues while away from Washington.
“As much as it frustrates me, this process takes time,” McConnell said. “But I still have unfinished business to complete on your behalf, and I have every intention of finishing the job you elected me to do.”
McConnell also reflected on the physical challenges he has faced since surviving childhood polio, saying those mobility issues have become more difficult with age.
“You all know how folks of my generation often hesitate to share the vulnerability that comes with growing older,” he wrote. “Even in the public eye, I feel that same instinct.”
The statement follows weeks of questions surrounding the senator’s absence from the Capitol.
According to the Office of the Attending Physician, McConnell has experienced several falls this year related to his post-polio condition. Physicians said a comprehensive evaluation found no fractures, cardiac abnormalities, stroke, tumor or hemorrhage following his most recent fall.
Doctors said McConnell developed pneumonia early in his hospital stay, but it responded quickly to antibiotics. The remainder of his hospitalization focused on physical therapy and strategies to reduce his risk of future falls. He has now been medically cleared to continue an intensive rehabilitation program.
McConnell, who announced in 2025 that he will retire when his current term ends in this upcoming January, said he plans to return to the Senate as soon as his doctors determine he is ready.
“I’ll keep working hard to get back on the Senate floor as soon as possible,” he said. “And I’ll keep you posted on the progress of my recovery. Until then, I’m so grateful for your prayers and well wishes.”
