Republican Kentucky Sen. Mitch McConnell’s office sent an email Tuesday that included a compilation of statements from senators and acquaintances claiming they spoke to the former majority leader for similar lengths of time and discussed related topics.
McConnell’s office provided no new details on his health despite his nearly month long hospitalization. Several of McConnell’s colleagues and acquaintances, including Senate Majority Leader John Thune and CNN senior political commentator Scott Jennings, made similar statements about McConnell that McConnell’s staff later shared in an email obtained by the Daily Caller News Foundation.
“As the Senator continues to recover, we will be sure to keep you updated. Wanted to flag the following tweets for you. And I’m sure you have the latest statement from a McConnell spokesperson: ‘Senator McConnell appreciates the outpouring of support he’s receiving while he continues his recovery in the hospital. The Senator continues to improve, and is working closely with his staff on Kentucky and Senate matters while the Senate is out of session,’” the email read.
The statements in the email included similar details, including the length of the conversations with McConnell and what they discussed. Thune claimed he spoke to McConnell on the phone Monday, where they had a “lengthy and substantive conversation” about several topics such as national security, a source familiar told the DCNF.
🚨🚨@LeaderJohnThune spoke with @SenMcConnell yesterday over the phone. They had a “lengthy and substantive conversation” about several topics, including national security, @DailyCaller has learned.
— Nicole Silverio (@NicoleMSilverio) July 7, 2026
Senate Majority Whip John Barrasso and Jennings claimed Tuesday they spoke to McConnell for “roughly 20 minutes” about a variety of political topics, including the Maine Senate race and the Iran war.
“Senator Barrasso and Senator McConnell had a lengthy conversation early this afternoon,” Barrasso’s communications director Kate Noyes told the DCNF. “Their phone call lasted roughly 20 minutes. They caught up about the latest news impacting Senate races, the Graham Platner scandal, and the recent Supreme Court ruling on coordinated spending limits. They also discussed the Senate’s July work period, including the need to pass the NDAA and confirm President Trump’s nominee for Director of National Intelligence. Senator McConnell was fully engaged and is eager to get back to the Senate.”
“I spoke to my old friend Mitch McConnell this morning, the senior Senator from Kentucky,” Jennings said on X. “He’s still recovering in the hospital. We talked for just shy of 20 minutes … about IRAN, UKRAINE, the unfolding situation in MAINE, my visit to the TR Presidential Library, and even a little bit of Senate history. I told him we want to see him back at work as soon as possible.”
I spoke to my old friend Mitch McConnell this morning, the senior Senator from Kentucky. He’s still recovering in the hospital. We talked for just shy of 20 minutes … about IRAN, UKRAINE, the unfolding situation in MAINE, my visit to the TR Presidential Library, and even a…
— Scott Jennings (@ScottJenningsKY) July 7, 2026
McConnell’s office told the DCNF Tuesday that McConnell continued to “improve” and was “working closely with his staff on Kentucky and Senate matters” while recovering in the hospital.
“Senator McConnell appreciates the outpouring of support he’s receiving while he continues his recovery in the hospital,” McConnell’s spokesperson said. “The Senator continues to improve, and is working closely with his staff on Kentucky and Senate matters while the Senate is out of session.”
McConnell’s, Thune’s, Barrasso’s offices and Jennings did not immediately respond to the DCNF’s request for comment.
Republican Utah Sen. Mike Lee said he knew “nothing” about McConnell’s condition, suggesting that other senators also had no knowledge.
Many of us aren’t speaking about Mitch McConnell’s condition because we know nothing about his condition. https://t.co/WwI4YYORvL
— Mike Lee (@BasedMikeLee) July 7, 2026
McConnell was hospitalized on June 14 after paramedics found him unconscious inside his Washington, D.C., residence and performed cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) for a “cardiac arrest.” Thune told the DCNF on June 15 that McConnell was “dialed in” on their conference’s legislative calls and sounded good on the phone.
McConnell’s wife, former Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao, traveled to China during her husband’s hospital stay. His youngest daughter, Porter, deactivated her social media account while speculation arose about her father’s health.
The 84-year-old senator was hospitalized in February for flu-like symptoms and was reportedly in the intensive care unit (ICU) from Feb. 2 to Feb. 10. Staffers were frequently seen assisting McConnell while walking around Capitol Hill. He suffered several falls and experienced two on-camera freezing episodes in July 2023.
McConnell announced in December 2024 he would step down as the Senate’s Republican leader after serving in the role for nearly two decades. He also decided in February 2025 he would not seek reelection after his current term expires in January 2027. Republican Kentucky Rep. Andy Barr won the Kentucky Senate GOP primary race in May and is favored to win in November to replace McConnell.
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