Scott Jennings said he spoke to Mitch McConnell on Tuesday and that the Senate Republican was recovering at home after a health scare that kept him out of public view for more than seven weeks. Jennings said McConnell was doing rehab at home and expected to return when the Senate meets again on September 14.
Jennings said McConnell told him, “I know this is unusual circumstances. I’m sitting here. The doctors tell me I don’t have any life-threatening issues. It must seem rather strange.” He also said, “He told me he was doing this rehab at home, and I think their plan is to hopefully get him back to the Senate.”
June 14 and the hospital stay
The update comes after McConnell was rushed to George Washington University Hospital on June 14 after a 911 call suggested he had had a heart attack, was unconscious, and had received CPR. His staff later said he had been released from the hospital after the health scare. McConnell and his team had refused to answer basic questions about his condition or when he would likely return to work.
That gap left room for speculation about his disappearance, including claims that he was dead or on life support. McConnell had also given only two earlier proof of life statements and two earlier photos, which made Jennings’s account one of the few fresh updates on how McConnell was doing.
Jennings on McConnell and Senate Republicans
Jennings, a commentator and longtime confidant of McConnell, said the senator was aware of the speculation and seemed to be doing better at home than in hospital. He added that McConnell cared about the farm bill and the NDAA, the two big items he said the senator wanted to get back to work on.
Jennings also said, “It’s pretty simple. An 84-year-old man who’s at the end of his term had a health issue. He’s recovering from it. He’s trying to get back to work. I expect he will get back to work.” He said, “He got elected by the people of Kentucky to serve a full term, and based on what I heard today, that’s what he intends to do.”
September 14 return
The practical question now is whether McConnell is actually back in the Senate when it returns on September 14. Jennings said that was the plan he heard on Tuesday, but McConnell had already been away long enough to miss work and fuel questions about how quickly he could resume his duties. For Senate Republicans, the next real sign will be whether he shows up when the chamber reconvenes.
