Senator Mitch McConnell remains hospitalized in Kentucky, office says he is improving

US Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell has been hospitalized in Kentucky since 14 June, his office said, and officials reported on 2 July that he is receiving excellent care and continues to improve.

McConnell, 84, has been in hospital for more than three weeks, but his staff have not disclosed the reason for the admission or the specific treatment he is receiving.

In recent days several Republican senators said they spoke with McConnell by phone, responding to online claims that he was in a vegetative state; conservative influencer Laura Loomer had alleged without evidence that he was “brain dead and hooked up to machines.”

Media reports of 911 calls from McConnell’s home said an unconscious person suffering cardiac arrest was reported and CPR was performed, though the recorded call does not explicitly name McConnell.

Republican colleagues provided details of their conversations to counter the rumors. A spokesman for Senate Leader John Thune said their call was lengthy and substantive, covering topics including national security.

Senator John Barrasso’s spokeswoman said he spoke with McConnell for 20 minutes and described him as fully engaged and eager to return to Senate business.

A spokesperson for Elaine Chao, McConnell’s wife, said her trip to China was long-planned and that the senator’s health did not require her immediate return to the United States.

McConnell’s office has not issued an update since the 2 July statement thanking supporters and saying he is working with his staff on Kentucky and Senate matters while the legislature is out of session.

The senator, the longest-serving party leader in Senate history, has experienced several health incidents in recent years, including a 2023 episode when he froze during a press conference, a concussion after a fall the same year, a 2024 trip-related injury, and a recent hospital admission for the flu.

McConnell, who survived polio as a child, announced he will not seek re-election when his term ends in January 2027; Kentucky law requires a special election to fill an early vacancy.