Republican leaders have moved to quash speculation about Mitch McConnell, the former Republican leader in the US Senate, amid a growing revolt over the lack of transparency around his health.
The 84-year-old Kentucky politician, who led Senate Republicans for longer than anyone in history before stepping down last year, was admitted to the hospital on 14 June but his office declined to say what he was being treated for.
The secrecy led to a backlash from Donald Trump’s support base, with some claiming that McConnell’s condition is graver than acknowledged and accusing his office of a cover-up.
On Tuesday, John Thune, McConnell’s successor as Republican leader, sought to quell the anger by claiming that he had spoken by phone with McConnell on Monday. A Thune spokesperson said: “They had a lengthy and substantive conversation that covered a variety of topics, including national security.”
Republican leaders seek to quell Mitch McConnell speculation as rebellion grows
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jul/08/republicans-mitch-mcconnell-health
37 Comments
blitzen@lemmy.ca · 119 pts · 48d
McConnell is filibustering death. It's what he would've wanted.
dhork@lemmy.world · 46 pts · 48d
Filibustering his own death is definitely fitting for him
TheMadCodger@piefed.social · 9 pts · 48d
It's Obama's fault.
BarneyPiccolo@lemmy.today · 3 pts · 47d
Goes without saying.
BarneyPiccolo@lemmy.today · 1 pts · 47d
No wonder he didn't want to abolish the filibuster. He knew he'd be needing it soon.
cattywampas@lemmy.world · 115 pts · 48d
Andy Beshear says he wants to hold a special election anyway unless Mitch shows proof of life. I say do it.
EvilBit@lemmy.world · 60 pts · 48d
I mean, the bar isn’t “alive”, it’s “capable”. If he can talk on the phone, he can object to a special election. I just want him to do it on live video with a copy of that days newspaper.
spongebue@lemmy.world · 11 pts · 48d
Shit, I'm naive enough that I'd settle for a 2-minute non-video call to Fox News. If he can talk with others for at least 10x that, surely that's not too much to ask.
GuyFawkesV@lemmy.world · 13 pts · 47d
Nah AI voice changer could handle that. I need PROOF.
SarcasticMan@lemmy.world · 103 pts · 48d
Easy fix. Unless they are lying shit baskets and no one has actually talked to him he should be able to FaceTime a call to one of the multitude of Press out there and shut everyone up. He won't though because it's hard to FaceTime from hell.
thesohoriots@lemmy.world · 15 pts · 48d
He’d just be doing the Sam Kinison scream after about three seconds. OH! OHHHHHHHHHHHH!
Today@lemmy.world · 10 pts · 48d
This is my second favorite thing on the Internet today. You're close behind those retired barn cats.
Omgpwnies@lemmy.world · 5 pts · 47d
Lindsey Graham went to check on him
ryper@lemmy.ca · 97 pts · 48d
You know who could end the speculation real quick? Mitch McConnell.
BarneyPiccolo@lemmy.today · 17 pts · 47d
One of the most hilarious things I've seen in a long time was when that MAGA dope on CNN the other day said he'd had a 20 minute conversation with McConnell, and the rest of them ALL jumped in and said "Hey! Since you can get him on the phone, hows about you call him right now, and end all the speculation?"
I've never seen a guy "Hummina, Hummina" so badly in my life.
jaschen306@sh.itjust.works · 57 pts · 48d
Dude is 100% BRAIN DEAD. If he was even remotely alive, they would have did a video call or at the very least they would have gotten on the phone. Nope. Dude is 100% dead.
ShredderFeeder@shredderfood.net · 53 pts · 48d
He's going to die on August 4th.
The day after a special election can be called.
CharlesDarwin@lemmy.world · 19 pts · 48d
Well, just let some trusted reporters in with the cameras.
Itdidnttrickledown@lemmy.world · 18 pts · 48d
The more noise they make the more apparent that even if the meat that was him is still warm its the machines that are keeping it that way.
fizzle@quokk.au · 17 pts · 48d
This is the dumbest thing. Anyone with a pulse has to assume he's dead or near to it. Shameless.
SnarkoPolo@lemmy.world · 16 pts · 47d
He just had a 20 minute conversation with Lindsey Graham.
GutterRat42@lemmy.world · 14 pts · 47d
You would think it is easy to prove that somebody is alive...
Bakkoda@lemmy.world · 6 pts · 47d
They are still harvesting Grahams organs. Give em some time to get them in McConnell
Manjushri@piefed.social · 10 pts · 47d
Nonsense. Mitch would not take gay organs. Besides, what do you think McConnell's wife was doing in China in the days after he went to the hospital? Obviously she was buying top of the line organs for him freshly harvested from young Chinese dissidents.
wonderingwanderer@sopuli.xyz · 4 pts · 47d
The horror of that mental image will keep me awake for months...
Bakkoda@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 45d
Id like to apologize for only putting in 5% effort into my post. Your are correct and I am not
santa@sh.itjust.works · 13 pts · 47d
Lindsey can’t wait for his Turtle Cuddle.
betterdeadthanreddit@lemmy.world · 10 pts · 48d
He's just pining for the fjords.
Catma@lemmy.world · 9 pts · 47d
leadore@lemmy.world · 8 pts · 48d
We need a picture of him with eyes open (without tape) and holding up the current day's NYT and WaPo papers.
slickgoat@lemmy.world · 10 pts · 48d
In these days of AI you will get videos of him tap dancing and backflips.
wonderingwanderer@sopuli.xyz · 1 pts · 47d
McConnell with a six-pack and giant biceps riding on the front of a tank with eagles overhead and fireworks in the sky along with the blue angels.
Maga: "He's alive! See, there's proof!"
Treczoks@lemmy.world · 8 pts · 47d
So they have something to hide. Whatever could that be?
BarneyPiccolo@lemmy.today · 5 pts · 47d
You want the list chronologically, or alphabetically?
WesternInfidels@feddit.online · 7 pts · 47d
Even The Gruniad characterizes this as "rebellion" and "revolt" when what's actually happening is people are talking.
This seems like a very totalitarian view of the world to me. Maybe it's appropriate, given the people we're discussing here.
If we were talking about (say) Elizabeth Warren being AWOL like this, would we expect to see questions from other Democrats characterized as "rebellion?" I don't think we would, but perhaps I'm wrong.
Gates9@sh.itjust.works · 5 pts · 47d
Gonna be a lot fucking harder now that Lindsey Graham is dead!
danekrae@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 48d
TheMadCodger@piefed.social · 4 pts · 48d
He stepped down as leader, so that line isn't giving anything away.
eyelevel@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 47d