Where is Mitch McConnell? What we know as questions swirl around health

Answers are being sought on the health of former Republican Senate leader, Mitch McConnell, following a multi-week hospital stint that has largely been rooted in silence.

What we do know is that he was admitted for treatment on 14 June, but no further details on the nature of that treatment have been publicly disclosed.

Audio shared by US news outlets claim that 911 responders were dealing with an "unconscious" person who was suffering from "cardiac arrest" at his home, but none of McConnell's team have confirmed that he was the patient in question.

Since then, much of the information has come from political allies, who, often seem to have contesting views on the status of his health.

Among those is Republican influencer Laura Loomer - who painted a sad picture on X that the Kentucky senator was in a "vegetative state" and "not coming back".

While she has notable White House connections, it's worth mentioning that her credibility has come under question previously.

Now, CNN's Republican political analyst Scott Jennings has offered his own update, claiming that he'd spoken with McConnell himself, with things sounding a little more positive.

“He’s still recovering in the hospital,” Jennings said, noting that the pair spoke for "just shy of 20 minutes" on topics including Iran and Ukraine. “I told him we want to see him back at work as soon as possible.”

A spokeswoman for Senator John Barrasso claims that the two had spoken for 20 minutes, and that the political titan "was fully engaged and is eager to get back to the Senate".

"Senator McConnell appreciates the outpouring of support he's receiving while he continues his recovery in the hospital. The Senator continues to improve, and is working closely with his staff on Kentucky and Senate matters while the Senate is out of session,” a spokesperson for his office told news outlets last week.

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McConnell has previously battled public health issues, including a 2023 moment which saw him escorted away from a press conference after appearing to freeze mid-sentence.

He was speaking at the weekly Republican leadership news conference when he stopped speaking for 19 seconds before being escorted away by concerned colleagues.

Footage of the incident quickly spread across the internet and led to people asking questions about his welfare and the future of his political career.

Following his strange turn, McConnell returned to continue with the news conference after around 12 minutes.

Journalists asked if he was ok, to which he responded, “I’m fine” and insisted he was able to continue doing his job.

However long his recovery takes, the politician has already confirmed he won't stand for re-election once his term expires in January 2027.

The Independent reached out to McConnell’s office for updates on his status on Tuesday 8 July.

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