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U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-KY, photographed holding the Sports section of the July 12, 2026, Washington Post. Elaine Chao, his wife, is seated next to him.<\/p>\n
Source: The office of U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell<\/p>\n
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McConnell, 84 \u2014 who has been absent from the Senate<\/a> since he was hospitalized on June 14 \u2014 also provided a photo of himself with a statement explaining his condition. His absence and hospitalization have been speculated on intensely in recent weeks, especially after it was reported<\/a> that emergency services responded to a case of cardiac arrest<\/a> at his home. <\/p>\n McConnell, who is a polio survivor, sought to put the speculation over his health to rest. <\/p>\n “[L]ast month, I took a fall which landed me in the hospital,” McConnell said in the statement to his constituents. “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 tumors or hemorrhages. But I was briefly unconscious and was taken to the hospital.”<\/p>\n The former Senate GOP leader said he also “had to deal with a mild case of pneumonia” while in the hospital. In a photo released with his statement, McConnell is holding a copy of the Sports section of the July 12 edition of The Washington Post. <\/p>\n McConnell is the longest-serving party leader in Senate history. He stepped down from the leader post at the beginning of this Congress, handing the reins to Sen. John Thune<\/a>, R-S.D. <\/p>\n