Outgoing Sen. Mitch McConnell was found unconscious in his Washington, D.C., home last month after apparently suffering a heart attack, according to reports. The 84-year-old Kentucky Republican received CPR for ‘cardiac arrest’ during the June 14 incident, which was confirmed by a Fire and EMS Department dispatch call.
An ambulance crew trained in advanced life support was sent to McConnell’s home in response to the emergency. McConnell’s spokesperson did not address the reports directly, but reiterated a statement released last week, saying that the senator is ‘still working closely with staff on Senate business and Kentucky matters as he continues his recovery.’ McConnell has suffered a series of health scares in recent years, including a hospitalization in February with ‘flu-like symptoms.’ He has also experienced several falls, including a March 2023 incident that left him with a concussion and broken rib, and two incidents in which he froze up and stared blankly while speaking to reporters. McConnell, who has walked with a limp since surviving polio as a child, is set to retire in January.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., has said that McConnell ‘sounded good’ and ‘wants to be back’ when they spoke the day after McConnell was hospitalized. The Senate has been out of session for Independence Day since Friday and isn’t scheduled to resume business until July 13. Rep.
Andy Barr, R-Ky., and Democratic former state Rep. Charles Booker are vying to replace McConnell in the upcoming election.
