NewsMacroJohn Oliver Questions Mitch McConnell’s Absence After Hospitalization

John Oliver Questions Mitch McConnell’s Absence After Hospitalization

Author: Alternet·

Key Takeaways

  • John Oliver referenced public uncertainty over Sen. Mitch McConnell’s condition during his Sunday night show.
  • Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear has urged McConnell to provide a direct public update to address speculation about his health.
  • A reported June 911 call said McConnell was in cardiac arrest and receiving CPR before emergency responders arrived.
  • McConnell said through his office that he was briefly unconscious, had mild pneumonia and did not suffer a heart attack or stroke.
  • McConnell’s absence from the Senate has led to questions about constituent representation and missed votes.
John Oliver Questions Mitch McConnell’s Absence After Hospitalization

Late-night host John Oliver returned Sunday night and used part of his show to address questions surrounding Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), who has been hospitalized for more than a month.

Reviewing major headlines from the summer that he had missed while on vacation, Oliver said, “We are back, and we missed a lot over the last few weeks. A parasitic infection has caused explosive diarrhea across the country. Lindsey Graham died, and Mitch McConnell ...maybe didn’t?”

The remarks came as Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear has asked for some form of proof of life from McConnell amid public questions about whether the longtime Republican senator is still alive. The concern has moved beyond late-night jokes because McConnell’s prolonged absence has also kept him away from Senate votes, making his health status a matter of public representation as well as personal privacy.

McConnell’s office released a photo two weeks ago showing the former GOP Senate leader seated in a chair in a hospital room next to his wife, pointing to the sports section of The Washington Post.

In June, WLKY reported that a 911 call was confirmed to be for McConnell. According to the report, the call said McConnell was in “cardiac arrest” and that CPR was being administered until emergency medical services arrived. The incident also prompted a series of unusual developments that drew further attention.

After McConnell was hospitalized, his wife, former Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao, flew to China within days. Upon her return, she was photographed by people outside the hospital wearing a long trench coat and a mask in 95-degree heat, according to TMZ.

McConnell’s staff has said he was physically fine. However, after spending a month in the hospital, he was moved to rehabilitation, a setting commonly used to help elderly patients recover when they are not immediately able to return home.

“My doctors have confirmed that I didn’t break any bones or suffer a concussion,” McConnell said in a statement released by his office. “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. While receiving excellent care over the past several weeks, I’ve also had to deal with a mild case of pneumonia.”

“I’ll keep working hard to get back on the Senate floor as soon as possible,” McConnell said.

A McConnell spokesperson told The Washington Post that the senator “continues to improve in rehab.”

Meanwhile, Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) passed away, and McConnell’s office did not respond to questions from Forbes about whether McConnell would attend the funeral scheduled for this week at Washington National Cathedral.

Beshear told SiriusXM last week that he has not heard anything from McConnell since the June incident.

“I haven’t heard a thing. Not an email, not a letter, not a call, not a video ... absolutely nothing,” Beshear said.

Earlier in July, Beshear said, “when you've been in a hospital for a month and you've missed all the votes, which is your job—I mean, basically, you're not able to show up for work, you owe your boss, like anybody else out there who works, an explanation of what's been going on.”

Beshear called on McConnell to “call into a news station for five minutes, put out a short video” about his health in order to quiet “rampant speculation” about his condition. Until McConnell appears publicly or provides a more direct update, the focus is likely to remain on whether his office can reassure constituents while he remains away from the Senate floor.