Gov. Andy Beshear said he received two calls from different agencies suggesting that Sen. Mitch McConnell had died during the senator’s month-long hospitalization, prompting the Kentucky governor to publicly call for transparency about the Republican’s health.
In an interview with Katie Couric posted July 15, Beshear disclosed the false reports for the first time. “I’d gotten two calls from different agencies, not state agencies, suggesting that he’d passed,” Beshear said, according to WKYT. The governor did not identify which agencies made the calls or when he received them.
Beshear’s disclosure came after weeks of public silence from McConnell’s office about his condition. The senator was hospitalized June 14 after a fall at his home in Washington, D.C., but his office released minimal information during his initial recovery.
McConnell’s Hospitalization and Recovery
McConnell, 84, was found unconscious at his home on June 14 and briefly remained unresponsive when emergency crews arrived, according to reporting by FOX News based on audio from the 911 call. Video that surfaced later appeared to show him being loaded into an ambulance that morning.
For nearly a month, McConnell’s office offered only vague updates. A June 15 statement said he was “receiving excellent care.” A June 20 statement said he “continues to improve.” On July 7, 23 days after hospitalization, a spokesperson shared statements from three people who said they’d spoken to him but offered no official health update.
The information vacuum fueled speculation. Beshear sent a public letter to McConnell on July 8 asking for a health update, saying that “Kentuckians have grown increasingly concerned about the health and well-being of Sen. McConnell” and that “growing public concern and continued speculation warrant more transparency,” according to WDRB.
On July 12, McConnell released his first detailed statement. He said a fall led to his hospitalization and that he was briefly unconscious. His doctors confirmed he had no fractures, concussion, heart attack, or stroke. He disclosed he developed a mild case of pneumonia while hospitalized but recovered quickly with antibiotics. McConnell said he had been moved to a rehabilitation center and was undergoing physical therapy, according to The Courier-Journal.
McConnell said he would not return to the Senate floor “quite yet” as he regained his strength. “As much as it frustrates me, this process takes time,” he stated. The senator, serving his final term before retirement in January 2027, said he still had “unfinished business to complete.”
Beshear called the July 12 update “a step in the right direction” but said Kentuckians deserved more information. His office confirmed it had received no direct communication from McConnell’s office about his health or recovery since the hospitalization began, according to WDRB.
McConnell’s health issues come after multiple hospitalizations in recent years. He was hospitalized with a concussion in March 2023 after falling in a Washington hotel and missed several weeks of work. In summer 2023, he twice froze during news conferences. A year later, he fell and sprained his wrist at a GOP luncheon. McConnell has acknowledged lifelong difficulty walking and climbing stairs due to polio in his childhood.
Sources
- WKYT — Beshear’s July 15 interview with Katie Couric disclosing the two calls from agencies suggesting McConnell had died
- The Courier-Journal — Beshear’s statements about the calls and McConnell’s July 12 health update detailing his fall, brief unconsciousness, medical tests, pneumonia, and rehabilitation
- WDRB — Detailed reporting on the calls, McConnell’s hospitalization timeline, the July 8 letter from Beshear requesting transparency, McConnell’s July 12 statement and photo, and the lack of direct communication between Beshear’s office and McConnell’s office
- FOX News — Reporting on the 911 call audio indicating McConnell was unconscious when emergency crews were dispatched
