McConnell says fall left him briefly unconscious

Sen. Mitch McConnell said Sunday that he was briefly unconscious around the time of a fall that sent him to the hospital, offering his first detailed account after weeks of questions about his condition. His continued absence matters in the Senate, where Fortune reported Republicans are temporarily down two members after Sen. Lindsey Graham’s unexpected death.

McConnell, 84, said in a statement that doctors ran extensive tests to determine what caused the fall. He said he was also treated for mild pneumonia and has since been transferred to a rehabilitation facility.

According to McConnell, his doctors found no broken bones, concussion, heart attack, stroke, tumors or hemorrhages. He said he is now rebuilding his strength.

Senate absence continues

McConnell said he cannot return to the Senate yet but will keep working with his staff on Senate business. Fortune reported that his absence, combined with Graham’s death, temporarily reduces the Republican majority to 51-47 as the party seeks to raise military funding, advance President Donald Trump’s agenda and confirm Trump nominees.

McConnell said he had stayed quiet about his condition in part because people of his generation can be reluctant to discuss the frailty that can come with aging. In the statement, he said he feels the same instinct even as a public official.

The statement included a photo of McConnell smiling with his wife, Elaine Chao. Fortune described the image as an implicit answer to online claims that he had died or was incapacitated.

Pressure for details had grown

McConnell had released little information after his June 14 hospitalization, according to Fortune. His office had said only that he was receiving strong care and recovering.

Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, a Democrat, publicly urged McConnell last week to give the public a clearer update, Fortune reported. Beshear asked him to address the matter in a transparent way.

McConnell is set to retire at the end of January after a long Senate career, according to Fortune. Republicans have nominated U.S. Rep. Andy Barr to seek his seat, while Democrats have nominated former state lawmaker Charles Booker.

In his statement to Kentuckians, McConnell said he still has work left to do for the state and intends to complete the term voters gave him.

Earlier health issues

McConnell had polio as a child and has long said he has had trouble walking and climbing stairs as an adult, Fortune reported. The congressional physician’s office said Sunday that McConnell has had several falls this year because of his post-polio condition.

The physician’s office said his physical therapy is intended to lower the risk of future falls. It also said a multidisciplinary medical team found no fractures, cardiac problems, stroke, tumor or hemorrhage.

McConnell was first elected to the Senate in 1984 and served as Senate Republican leader from 2007 until last year, according to Fortune. The publication reported that he has remained active as a rank-and-file senator, often using a wheelchair when the chamber is in session.

Fortune reported that McConnell was hospitalized with a concussion in March 2023 after falling at a Washington hotel and later missed several weeks of work. It also reported that he twice froze during news conferences after returning, and that he sprained his wrist in another fall after a Republican luncheon a year later.

This story draws on original reporting from Fortune.