President Donald Trump said Wednesday that he does not know how Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., is doing as the longtime senator remains hospitalized after nearly a month, with few details about his condition having been made public.
Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One after attending a NATO summit in Turkey, Trump was asked whether he had been in contact with the former Senate majority leader.
“Have you spoken to Senator Mitch McConnell?” a reporter asked.
“No,” Trump replied.
When asked about McConnell’s condition, the president said he had no information.
“How’s he doing?”
“I have no idea,” Trump responded. “I have no idea how he’s doing.”
McConnell, 84, has been hospitalized since June 14. Reports indicate the Kentucky senator was found unconscious at his home after suffering cardiac arrest.
Despite his lengthy hospitalization, McConnell’s aides have not publicly disclosed the reason for his continued stay or provided additional details regarding his prognosis.
The limited information surrounding McConnell’s condition has fueled questions in Washington, even as several of his allies have said they recently spoke with him by telephone.
On Tuesday, CNN commentator Scott Jennings said he had a nearly 20-minute phone conversation with McConnell earlier that morning focused on political issues.
According to Jennings, the discussion covered politics, but he said he still did not know any more about McConnell’s medical condition than what has already been publicly reported.
Senate Republican leaders also indicated they had recently spoken with the Kentucky senator.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., and Senate Majority Whip John Barrasso, R-Wyo., both said they had conversations with McConnell by phone regarding political matters.
While those discussions suggested McConnell remains engaged in Senate affairs, they did not provide any new public information about his health or expected recovery.
Trump’s comments also come against the backdrop of a sometimes-contentious relationship with McConnell.
During his first administration, McConnell’s wife, Elaine Chao, served as Transportation secretary.
Following his first term in office, Trump repeatedly criticized both McConnell and Chao, at times directing personal attacks toward the former Cabinet secretary by referring to her as “Coco Chow.”
Despite those past disagreements, Trump offered no additional comments regarding McConnell’s health beyond saying he was unaware of the senator’s current condition.
McConnell’s office is not the only congressional office to face questions over the lack of detailed public information surrounding an absent lawmaker.
The article notes that Rep. Tom Kean, R-N.J., recently returned to Congress after an unexplained absence that lasted nearly four months.
During his time away from Capitol Hill, Kean’s office repeatedly said only that he was receiving treatment for a “medical condition” without offering further specifics.
After returning to Congress last week, Kean addressed the issue in a speech on the House floor, revealing that he had been undergoing treatment for depression.
His disclosure provided an explanation for an absence that had remained largely unexplained during the months he was away.
McConnell, however, remains hospitalized, and his office has continued to provide little information about his condition. While colleagues and political allies say they have spoken with him by phone, the senator’s prognosis has not been publicly detailed, leaving continued questions about his health and recovery unanswered.
