Sen. Mitch McConnell is back — but is he really? After three months of total absence from the public eye, that’s the question many are asking about the Kentucky Republican. In June, McConnell suffered from a “bad fall” that left him hospitalized. For months, rumors circulated that he had actually died, was on life support or was otherwise incapacitated. McConnell, who became the longest-serving Senate party leader in U.S. history before relinquishing that role last year, is now 84. He’s had serious health issues in recent years, such as freezing up during a press conference in 2023, an incident also blamed on a fall.
During McConnell’s prolonged absence, during which he still collected a paycheck, there was virtually no public info on his condition. A few images were released, but no video or audio that made clear he was able to speak, let alone fulfill his duties as a lawmaker. Many observers, including Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, a Democrat, assumed he would never return to the Senate.
