Sen. McConnell says he’s home from physical rehab center

Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., was discharged from a rehabilitation center Thursday, about seven weeks after he was reportedly found unresponsive at home and subsequently hospitalized. In a statement released by his office Thursday, McConnell said he planned to continue an intensive regimen of physical therapy at home for the foreseeable future. He planned to engage with his staff and colleagues on important Senate business while he remained at home. He thanked friends, colleagues, and his Kentucky constituents for their support, and praised health care workers for the treatment he received.

What have others said? Thursday’s statement came amid repeated calls by Kentucky Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear for McConnell to provide more detailed information about the state of his health, as well as when he planned to return to the Senate in person. In a July 8 letter to McConnell, Beshear insisted that a lawmaker’s commitment to transparency required clear communication about his or her ability to function in office.

What do we know about the reason for McConnell’s hospitalization? In a previous statement issued last month, the former Senate Republican leader said his hospitalization on June 14 was due to a fall he suffered for which doctors had been unable to identify a cause. Beyond that, the senator’s statement focused on ruling out certain prognoses.

“My doctors have confirmed that I didn’t break any bones or suffer a concussion,” McConnell wrote. “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.” The senator added that he did suffer from a mild form of pneumonia.

McConnell added that he’d undergone numerous tests aimed to help doctors determine what caused him to fall.

McConnell, 84, has held his Senate seat since 1985. In the past few years, he has had a series of medical incidents, including falls and public freeze-ups where he couldn’t finish a sentence. He said in 2025 that he would not run for reelection.

Dig Deeper: Read Lauren Canterberry’s report about McConnell’s decision not to seek reelection after 40 years of service.