Mitch McConnell, Still Absent From Senate, Gives First Update in 2 Weeks

Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) on July 27 said he’s undergoing physical therapy as part of an effort to get well enough to resume his Senate duties.

“I’m still working hard to get back to my full schedule of work in the Senate and in Kentucky, keeping up with intense physical therapy per my doctors’ orders,” McConnell, 84, one of the oldest members of the Senate, said in a statement.

McConnell said he would not make it to a popular event called Fancy Farm slated to take place in Kentucky on Saturday.

McConnell was hospitalized in June. The reason for the hospitalization was not disclosed until July 12, with McConnell stating at the time it was due to a fall that left him briefly unconscious.

The senator also said he suffered from a mild case of pneumonia.

On Monday, Congress’s Office of the Attending Physician said that McConnell fell while at home in June and that he has been moved from the hospital to another facility.

“Since his discharge from hospital care, he has maintained a strenuous course of physical therapy and rehabilitation, including multiple sessions a day designed to rebuild strength and reduce the risk of future falls,” the office said.

“His bout with childhood polio continues to be a significant factor in his mobility. He is not yet medically cleared to leave the rehab facility and return to the office.”

McConnell said on Monday that he was sorry to miss Fancy Farm and wished the community the best for the event.

“As always, I appreciate all of your continued well wishes, and I’m looking forward to getting back to the Senate and to Kentucky soon,” he wrote.

The update included a single piece of media: a picture of McConnell sitting, with his wife, Elaine Chao, next to him. McConnell’s office said the photograph was taken on July 26.

McConnell has previously dealt with a number of health problems, including documented instances of him freezing while being near or addressing reporters. His office has said he experienced momentary lightheadedness at those times.

The senator said in 2025 that he would not run for another term. His current term ends on Jan. 3, 2027.

In the primary elections for the race to succeed McConnell, Republican voters chose Rep. Andy Barr (R-Ky.), while Democratic voters selected former Kentucky Rep. Charles Booker.