US Senator Mitch McConnell has announced he will not be returning to the Senate "quite yet" after suffering a fall and a mild case of pneumonia. This marks his first public statement after weeks of speculation about his health following his hospital admission on 14 June 2026.
In a statement accompanied by a photo showing McConnell with his wife holding a copy of the Sunday Washington Post, the senator said he was "briefly unconscious" after the fall and underwent extensive testing to determine the cause. He added, "My doctors have confirmed that I didn't break any bones or suffer a concussion. I didn't have a heart attack or a stroke. I don't have any tumours or haemorrhages."
Addressing the speculation surrounding his absence, McConnell remarked, "Folks of my generation often hesitate to share the vulnerability that comes with growing older." He also noted, "They haven't exactly gotten easier to manage with age. And last month, I took a fall which landed me in the hospital."
His staff reported on 2 July that he was "receiving excellent care" and "continues to improve." Earlier health incidents include a 2024 injury from tripping outside a Senate lunch event and a hospital admission earlier this year for the flu.
Separately, the Chinese government confirmed that Chao met with Chinese Vice-President Han Zheng in Beijing on 17 June, three days after McConnell's hospital admission.
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