James Carville expressed frustration with people who seem to be taking joy in speculation around the health of Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.).
“Let me be clear. I don’t want anybody to get sick, OK? I just don’t,” the longtime Democratic strategist said in the latest episode of his “Politics War Room” podcast with Al Hunt. “Not Lindsey Graham, not Mitch McConnell, not even Donald Trump, OK?”
He admitted that he likes “hardball politics” but added, “fascination and glee in other people’s health issues is just something I don’t want to be part of. I just don’t want to be part of it.”
McConnell has been absent from the Senate for weeks after emergency workers were called to his home on June 14.
In a July 12 statement shared by his office, the first such health update since the EMS call, the senator said that he was “briefly unconscious” following a fall and was taken to a hospital. He also said he dealt with a “mild case of pneumonia” while under medical care. According to the statement, McConnell moved to a rehabilitation center after showing “signs of continued progress” at the hospital.
The senator also attached a photo of himself and his wife, Elaine Chao, pictured with that day’s edition of The Washington Post.
The move, however, didn’t bring conspiracy theories surrounding his health to a halt. Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), for instance, claimed that the image shared by McConnell’s office was an “older photo.” (The senator later walked back his comments).
On the podcast, Carville responded to a listener who asked if Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear (D) should call for a special election to replace McConnell. Kentucky law dictates that the governor call a special election only when a U.S. Senate seat becomes vacant.
“You can’t hold a special election. He’s still living! He is the United States senator of Kentucky,” Carville declared.
He later continued, “It’s that simple. The only way that he’s not going to be is if his term gets up or he resigns or he dies.”
See Carville’s comments below: