Kentucky Senator Mitch McConnell has left the hospital after taking a tumble at home last month, but don't expect to see him roaming the halls of the Senate anytime soon because doctors still haven't given him the green light to go back to work. His office dropped the latest health update on Monday, as Conservative Brief reported, and apparently the longest serving GOP leader in Senate history is grinding through physical therapy like a man training for the Olympics, except instead of gold medals he's just trying not to fall down again.
The Office of the Attending Physician, which sounds like something from a medical drama nobody asked for, confirmed that their doctors are visiting McConnell every single day. He's been doing multiple rehab sessions daily since leaving the hospital, all focused on rebuilding strength and lowering the chances of another spill. They also noted that his childhood bout with polio remains a major factor in his ability to get around. So basically, the man has been dealing with mobility issues since before most of us were born, and age hasn't exactly been doing him any favors.
McConnell's extended disappearance from public life had the rumor mill spinning so fast it could power a small city. People online were speculating everything from him being in a vegetative state to, well, worse. Meanwhile, Republicans in the Senate have been scrambling to handle legislative priorities where his vote might actually matter, including a Russia sanctions package and some big nominee confirmations.
To combat the whispers, McConnell's team posted a photo of him with his wife, former Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao, taken on Sunday. He also released a statement expressing sadness about missing the annual Fancy Farm barbecue in western Kentucky, which he's apparently been attending for 42 years. The man loves his pork and mutton, and honestly, who can blame him?
McConnell waxed nostalgic about how Fancy Farm used to be a lonely place for Republicans but has since transformed into what he called a conservative sea of red. He sent his best wishes to the St. Jerome community and promised he's working hard to get back to full speed.
Here's what we know about the actual medical situation: McConnell fell at home on June 14 and was briefly knocked unconscious. The good news is there were no broken bones, no concussion, no heart attack, no stroke, no tumors, and no hemorrhages. The less good news is that he picked up a mild case of pneumonia while hospitalized, though antibiotics took care of that. He then transferred to a rehabilitation facility where he's been grinding ever since.
McConnell, who is retiring when his current term wraps up in January 2027, has been framing this whole ordeal as proof of his determination to finish the job. He says he's still coordinating with his legislative and constituent staff from rehab. So even when the man literally cannot stand up without a team of doctors watching, he's still trying to legislate. Say what you want about Mitch McConnell, but the turtle does not quit.
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