US Senator Mitch McConnell says absence due to fall and pneumonia

BBC World NewsUpdated Jul 12, 2026, 11:41 PM

The veteran Republican says he will not return to work "quite yet", in his first statement following weeks of speculation about his health.

US Senator Mitch McConnell says he will not be returning to the Senate "quite yet" after suffering from a fall and "a mild case of pneumonia".

It is the first statement from the 84-year-old Kentucky Republican after weeks of speculation about his health, following his admission to hospital in mid-June.

A photo was released by his office, in addition to the statement, which shows McConnell with his wife, former Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao, holding what appeared to be Sunday's Washington Post newspaper.

He said he was "briefly unconscious" after his fall and taken to hospital, where he had "submitted to every test they can think of to help figure out what caused this incident".

"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 tumours or haemorrhages," he said.

Addressing his wildly speculated about absence, McConnell said: "Folks of my generation often hesitate to share the vulnerability that comes with growing older".

He also referenced his childhood polio and the ongoing "mobility challenges" he faces as a result, saying: "They haven't exactly gotten easier to manage with age. And last month, I took a fall which landed me in the hospital."

McConnell contracted polio at the age of two, which left a portion of his left leg paralysed. He has credited extensive physical rehabilitation and a protective mother with making sure he could walk again.

In addition to facing the remnants of his polio diagnosis, the senator said he faced a mild case of pneumonia, while in hospital.

He has now been moved from hospital care to a rehabilitation centre, according to the statement.

"You all know how folks of my generation often hesitate to share the vulnerability that comes with growing older," the statement read.

"As much as it frustrates me, this process takes time. And on the advice of my doctors, I won't be able to return to the Senate floor to vote quite yet."

"Even in the public eye, I feel that same instinct – I can't help it."

Image caption,The senator was seen on 4 June leaning on his staff to support himself

The release of a photo of McConnell with his wife, Elaine Chao, who served as transportation secretary during Donald Trump's first term, comes after she was criticised for travelling to China when her husband was unwell.

The Chinese government has confirmed Chao met Chinese Vice-President Han Zheng in Beijing on 17 June, three days after McConnell was admitted to hospital.

A spokesperson for Chao told the BBC earlier this week that McConnell's health "did not warrant an immediate return".

Calls for information about the condition of McConnell, who holds the title of the longest-serving Senate party leader in US history, grew as his hospital stay approached the one-month mark this week.

Applying even more pressure, Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear, a Democrat, sent a letter to McConnell's office earlier this week, urging the senator to be "transparent" and provide an update on his health amid growing concerns about his "ability to hold office".

McConnell was admitted for treatment on 14 June, according to his staff, who did not give any details about the reason for his hospital stay, or what kind of treatment he was receiving.

The Kentucky senator's team said on 2 July he was "receiving excellent care" and "continues to improve". But aside from that statement and some reported phone calls with a handful of people, he did not appear in public or in photos.

McConnell has faced a number of health challenges in recent years.

In 2024, he was injured after tripping outside a Senate lunch event, and earlier this year he was admitted to hospital for the flu.

He has said he will retire at the end of his term in the Senate.

"Part of my decision to retire at the end of my term this coming January was being honest about the demands of Senate work," he said in Sunday's statement.

"But I still have unfinished business to complete on your behalf, and I have every intention of finishing the job you elected me to do."