The US Republican senator has been absent from Congress during a weeks-long hospitalisation, spurring concern about his condition.By The Associated PressPublished On 12 Jul 202612 Jul 2026United States Senator Mitch McConnell has revealed that a fall led to his hospitalisation, breaking his silence after weeks of mounting speculation about his health.On Sunday, the 84-year-old Kentucky Republican said in a statement that he was “briefly unconscious” around the time he was first taken to hospital.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemsend of listHe explained that he has undergone a battery of tests to determine what led to his fall and was also treated for mild pneumonia. He has since been moved to a rehabilitation facility.“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,” McConnell said, adding that he is now “regaining my strength”.McConnell’s statement came on the heels of the unexpected death of his fellow Senator Lindsey Graham, a Republican from South Carolina. McConnell said he cannot return to the Senate “quite yet”.Coupled with Graham’s passing, McConnell’s absence will temporarily whittle down the Republican majority in the chamber by two, leaving the party with 51 senators present, compared with 47 in the Democratic caucus.That may create difficulties as Republicans try to increase military funding, advance President Donald Trump’s agenda and confirm Trump’s nominees.McConnell explained the four-week silence about his condition by saying that “folks of my generation often hesitate to share the vulnerability that comes with growing older”.“Even in the public eye, I feel that same instinct — I can’t help it,” h …
