Senator Mitch McConnell, 83, has been hospitalized with “flu-like symptoms,” his spokesperson announced.
“In an abundance of caution, after experiencing flu-like symptoms over the weekend, Senator McConnell checked himself into a local hospital for evaluation last night,” David Popp, a spokesperson for the Kentucky Republican, said in a statement shared with The Independent.
McConnell, who survived polio as a child, has had several public falls and moments when he froze on camera in recent years, raising concerns about his health.
Popp said McConnell’s “prognosis is positive,” adding “he is grateful for the excellent care he is receiving.”
McConnell missed Senate votes on Monday and Tuesday, per Politico, and it’s unclear when he’ll be back.
“He is in regular contact with his staff and looks forward to returning to Senate business,” Popp said.
Last October, McConnell fell in a hallway inside the U.S. Capitol building as he was approached by an activist asking him a question about Immigration and Customs Enforcement activities. The senator has suffered injuries from his falls in the past, including a sprained wrist in 2024 and a concussion in 2023.
McConnell is Kentucky’s longest-serving senator after being first elected to the Senate in 1984. He was also the longest-serving Senate leader, having held the position for 18 years before stepping down in 2024.
Nearly a year ago, McConnell announced he won’t seek reelection. His term will end in January 2027.
“Thanks to Ronald Reagan’s determination, the work of strengthening American hard power was well underway when I arrived in the Senate,” McConnell said on the Senate floor when announcing his retirement.
He continued: “But since then, we’ve allowed that power to atrophy. And today, a dangerous world threatens to outpace the work of rebuilding it. So, lest any of our colleagues still doubt my intentions for the remainder of my term: I have some unfinished business to attend to.”
A recent NBC News review found that 24 members of Congress are 80 or older, and 13 of them are running for reelection this year.
According to a Pew Research Center survey from 2023, 79 percent of Americans favor a maximum age limit for elected officials in Washington, D.C.
