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Senate GOP Leaders Report Phone Conversations with Hospitalized Mitch McConnell

Top Senate Republicans say they have spoken with Senator Mitch McConnell by phone amid his ongoing hospitalization and report he is engaged and eager to return to the Senate.

Jul 7, 2026, 8:34 PM CBS Politics

Senate GOPtopic Kentucky Republicanperson Fox Newsorganization Senatetopic CBS Politicstopic John Barrasso of Wyomingtopic Kate Noyesperson Senate Majority Leader John Thunetopic Hospitalized Mitchperson Senate GOP Leaders Report Phone Conversationstopic National Press Foundationperson Paul Miller Washington Reporting Fellowshiptopic

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Senate GOP leaders have confirmed that they spoke with Senator Mitch McConnell by phone this week during his hospitalization, which began on June 14. According to spokespeople, Senate Majority Leader John Thune and McConnell had a "lengthy and substantive conversation" on Monday covering various topics, including national security. On Tuesday, Senator John Barrasso of Wyoming also spoke with McConnell by phone for about 20 minutes.

Barrasso's spokeswoman, Kate Noyes, stated, "Senator McConnell was fully engaged and is eager to get back to the Senate." McConnell's office last confirmed on July 2 that he remained hospitalized but continues to improve and is working closely with his staff on Kentucky and Senate matters while the Senate is out of session.

Earlier reports from June 15 and 16 indicated that McConnell "sounded good," was "in good spirits," and expressed a desire to return soon, according to statements made to Fox News by Senate leaders.

The 84-year-old Kentucky Republican has received an outpouring of support as he continues his recovery.

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Senate GOP leaders say they've talked with McConnell by phone

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CBS Politics Captured Jul 7, 2026, 8:31 PM · Original story

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Overview: This article shows limited framing pressure in the available source text. Top Senate Republicans say they have spoken with Senator Mitch McConnell by phone amid his ongoing hospitalization and report he is engaged and eager to return to the Senate.

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Source mix starts with 1 reviewed of 1 attached source; reviewed feed scores are confidence-weighted on the -100 to +100 scale.
Framing pressure is 23/100 from 1 detected cue: loaded terms, negative adjectives, timeline/title wording, uncertainty, causal claims, opinion markers, and source perspective.
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