Nothing says "get well soon" quite like a fellow Republican going on television to suggest your hospital photo might be fake. That is essentially what happened when Sen. Ron Johnson of Wisconsin appeared on The Balance on Real America's Voice and openly questioned whether a photo released by Sen. Mitch McConnell's office was actually taken during his current hospitalization, as Conservative Brief reported.
Host Eric Bolling kicked things off by saying he was not sure he believed the image was really McConnell in the hospital. "Do you believe Mitch McConnell is the one who said, 'I'm ok. Here's the picture of my wife, Elaine Chao and I' in that hospital bed?" Bolling asked, apparently channeling his inner forensic photo analyst.
Johnson, never one to let an unverified rumor go unshared on live television, replied: "Well, I just heard from some other source that was an older photo. So, I really don't know. I haven't talked to Mitch." He did not identify the source, provide any evidence, or explain how said source would know when the photograph was taken. So basically he heard a thing from a guy and decided national television was the appropriate place to workshop it.
To his credit, Johnson did pivot to wishing McConnell well, which is the political equivalent of saying "no offense" right after offending someone. "It's sad to watch people age no matter who that person is. I've served with Mitch McConnell for 16 years. Obviously, I've disagreed with him on a host of things, but I also know he loves this country." He added that he hoped McConnell could recover and "come back and contribute and vote with the president's agenda," which is a very specific kind of well wishing.
The 84 year old McConnell was admitted to a Washington area hospital on June 14 after suffering a fall. His office released a statement saying he did not have a heart attack or stroke, did not break any bones, and was diagnosed with a mild case of pneumonia. The photo in question accompanied that health update, and McConnell's office has not responded to Johnson's remarks. There is no independent evidence that the image was taken before the current hospitalization.
The drama comes after weeks of bipartisan calls for more transparency about McConnell's condition. Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear and several Republican lawmakers had urged his office to share more information, and CNN commentator Scott Jennings, a longtime McConnell ally, encouraged additional updates to counter online speculation.
Well, mission accomplished on that front. They released a photo and now there is even more speculation. Sometimes you just cannot win. The claim remains entirely unverified, but in the modern political landscape, an unnamed source and a cable news segment is apparently all you need to turn a get well photo into a conspiracy theory. McConnell's office maintains the image is current. Johnson maintains he heard otherwise from somebody. And the rest of us are left wondering why nobody just picks up the phone and calls Mitch.
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