Governor demands proof of life for powerful senator weeks after medical emergency
The governor of Kentucky has demanded proof of life from one of Washington’s most powerful politicians, weeks after the senator was last seen in public.
Kentucky Senator Mitch McConnell suffered an unspecified medical emergency on June 14 and was rushed to hospital.
Mitch McConnell has not been seen for weeks. AP
In the weeks since then, McConnell has not appeared in public or spoken, and his staff have not disclosed his condition.
Now Governor Andy Beshear has written to the senator demanding an update.
“As governor, I request that you fully update Kentuckians regarding the current status of your health,” Beshear’s letter read.
“As public officeholders, we have made a commitment to our constituents to do our best to represent them and to always be transparent.
“I believe this requires clear communication about one’s ability to serve.”
After a conservative firebrand close to the White House alleged McConnell was in a vegetative state earlier this week, several prominent Republicans have said they have spoken to him.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune and Majority Whip John Barrasso both spoke to him, their spokespersons said.
Mitch McConnell's staffers have been cagey about the senator's condition. AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite
Both Barrasso and conservative commentator Scott Jennings said they had spoken to McConnell for 20 minutes.
“We talked for just shy of 20 minutes … about IRAN, UKRAINE, the unfolding situation in MAINE, my visit to the TR Presidential Library, and even a little bit of Senate history,” Jennings said on X.
“I told him we want to see him back at work as soon as possible.”
The “20-minute” detail attracted the scepticism of pundits online.
Kentucky Representative Thomas Massie, who lost his primary election last month, posted a mocking comment on X in response.
“I spoke to McConnell for about 20 minutes this morning,” Massie wrote.
“He said we should end the war with Iran, quit giving aid to Israel, stop spying on Americans without a warrant, and he’s really sorry about how my primary turned out.”
Though of the same party, Massie and McConnell differ on many issues, including the ones mentioned in his X post.
Conservative commentator Glenn Beck demanded proof of McConnell’s condition.
“Am I the only one who didn’t have a 20-minute talk with McConnell?” Beck wrote on X.
“Here’s an idea: if he’s doing this great, FILM IT. Put it online. Let us all see how sharp he really is.”
President Donald Trump, who also has a tense relationship with McConnell, was asked about his condition on Air Force One.
“I have no idea how he’s doing,” the president said.
McConnell’s health has been the subject of speculation for several years, after he appeared to freeze up during several press conferences in 2023.
The then-leader of the Senate Republicans stopped talking mid-sentence and did not speak for 19 seconds before he was ushered away.
Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear is considered a possible candidate for the presidency in 2024. AP
He stepped down as party leader but remained a senator.
There is no mechanism for removing or replacing a senator from office if they are facing a long-term health condition that renders them unable to serve.
Senators must resign of their own volition or die to be replaced.
If McConnell were to die, the Kentucky constitution states he shall be replaced by someone appointed by the governor.
Republicans would be loath to give that responsibility to Beshear, a Democrat.
It would be far from unprecedented for the governor to replace McConnell with a Democrat, narrowing the Republican Party’s margin in the upper house.
McConnell has been the most powerful Republican in the Capitol for close to 20 years.
During the Obama and Biden administrations, McConnell proved effective at hampering Democratic agendas.
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