Senator Mitch McConnell’s wife Elaine Chao did not immediately return to the U.S. last month after the Kentucky lawmaker was hospitalized, a new report says.
“The secretary was on a long-planned trip in China to support her family’s philanthropic endeavors. During the trip, she met with a number of people, including the US ambassador,” a spokesperson for Chao, who served at various points as the U.S. labor and transportation secretary, told WLKY Tuesday. “The Senator’s health did not warrant an immediate return to the US.”
The Independent has contacted Chao for comment.
McConnell was hospitalized on June 14, but little else is known about his current condition. Chao left for China on June 12, WLKY reported.
“Senator McConnell appreciates the outpouring of support he’s receiving while he continues his recovery in the hospital,” a McConnell spokesperson told The Independent in a statement. “The Senator continues to improve, and is working closely with his staff on Kentucky and Senate matters while the Senate is out of session.”
Several Republicans figures have said they’ve been in contact with McConnell in recent days.
“I spoke to my old friend Mitch McConnell this morning, the senior Senator from Kentucky,” CNN commentator Scott Jennings wrote on X on Tuesday. “He’s still recovering in the hospital. We talked for just shy of 20 minutes … about IRAN, UKRAINE, the unfolding situation in MAINE, my visit to the TR Presidential Library, and even a little bit of Senate history. I told him we want to see him back at work as soon as possible.”
On Monday, Senate Majority Leader John Thune “had a lengthy and substantive conversation that covered a variety of topics, including national security,” a spokesperson for Thune said Tuesday, per Politico
Meanwhile, Majority Whip John Barrasso spoke with McConnell for around 20 minutes on Tuesday.
Kate Noyes, a spokesperson for Barrasso, said the pair “caught up about the latest news impacting Senate races, the Graham Platner scandal and the recent Supreme Court ruling on coordinated spending limits.“
“Senator McConnell was fully engaged and is eager to get back to the Senate,” she added, Politico reports
The 84-year-old McConnell, who is not seeking reelection after his term ends in 2027, has suffered a string of health scares in recent years.
In February, he checked into the hospital because he was “experiencing flu-like symptoms,” his office said.
Last October, he fell in a hallway in the U.S. Capitol during a confrontation with an activist, though his staff said he was “all good” after the incident. Previous falls have left McConnell with a sprained wrist in 2024 and a concussion in 2023.
Multiple times during 2023, McConnell froze while speaking during public appearances.
The Kentucky Republican’s absence has stalled progress on multiple spending bills for which the GOP needs his vote to overcome Democratic opposition.
Lawmakers are in the midst of a July 4 recess that lasts until July 13. They left the capital with multiple major bills hanging in the balance, ranging from new voting restrictions to housing and spending packages.
