McConnell reveals post-polio condition caused fall and hospital stay
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Nearly a month after he was hospitalized, Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., explained what really happened that led to his absence from the Senate.
In a lengthy statement released Sunday evening, McConnell attributed his childhood battle with polio to a fall he suffered last month that led to his hospitalization. In an open letter to Kentuckians, he said he was “briefly unconscious” and contracted a “mild case of pneumonia” while he was recovering.
“My doctors confirmed that I did not break any bones or have a concussion,” McConnell said. “I didn’t have a heart attack or stroke. I don’t have any tumors or bleeding.”
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Mitch McConnell said that he recovered after losing consciousness briefly due to a fall at home and being hospitalized for several weeks, during which time a mild case of pneumonia also emerged. The senator said doctors have ruled out broken bones, concussion, heart attack, stroke, tumor and bleeding, but he will not yet return to the Senate chamber to vote because he continues physical therapy at a rehabilitation center. His statement included a photo of McConnell with his wife, Elaine Chao. (Mitch McConnell’s Office)
But when he will return to the Senate remains a mystery; This is something McConnell acknowledges.
“As disappointing as I am, this process takes time. And on the advice of my doctors, I will not be able to return to the Senate floor yet to vote,” McConnell said. “But rest assured, in the meantime, I am not interrupting the Senate business that is important to you.”
His attending physician noted that McConnell “experienced several falls throughout the year, which were attributed to his post-polio condition.”
MCCONNELL WAS FOUND ‘UNCONSCIOUS’ IN HIS HOME LAST MONTH AS HIS CONDITION WAS UNKNOWN
“He was hospitalized four weeks ago after falling at home and suffering minor injuries,” McConnell’s doctor said.
“A comprehensive evaluation by a multidisciplinary team determined there were no fractures, heart abnormalities, strokes, tumors or bleeding,” his doctor continued. “Early in his hospitalization he developed pneumonia, which responded rapidly to antibiotic treatment.”
The latest update on the health of the longtime lawmaker comes following the sudden death Saturday night of Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., who had just returned from a trip to Ukraine.
McConnell’s absence, combined with Graham’s shocking death, leaves the Senate trailing on two crucial votes amid a dead sprint to complete key parts of President Donald Trump’s agenda by July and early August.
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South Carolina Republican Senator Lindsey Graham speaks to reporters with President Donald Trump and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick aboard Air Force One on their way back to Washington, D.C., on January 4, 2026. (Jim Watson/AFP via Getty Images)
It also comes after more than three weeks of speculation about why the Senate GOP’s longest-serving leader in history was ousted.
For several weeks, his office did not disclose the true nature of his condition or explain how he was hospitalized. This sparked a storm on the internet claiming that McConnell was in a vegetative state.
Adding to this sick intrigue, an emergency audio recording from June 14, the day he was hospitalized, was also leaked; The audio suggested the longtime Senate Republican was “unconscious” and may have had a heart attack.
Further complicating the uncertain nature of the situation was the visit of his wife, former Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao, to China just days after he was hospitalized. “The secretary was on a long-planned trip to China to support his family’s philanthropic efforts,” Chao’s office previously told Fox News Digital.
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“He met with many people during the trip, including the US ambassador,” his office said. “The senator’s health did not require immediate return to the United States.”
McConnell’s statement did not directly address much of the speculation surrounding his hospitalization. However, he promised to return to the Senate when he had the opportunity.
“You are right to expect your representatives to work hard for you. Part of my decision to retire at the end of my term next January was to be honest about the demands of Senate work,” McConnell said. “But I still have unfinished business to complete on your behalf, and I have every intention of finishing the job you have chosen me to do.”
