Former Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell holds a press conference following the Senate Republicans' weekly policy lunch at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, November 19, 2024. REUTERS/Elizabeth Frantz
Republicans in Congress have largely remained quiet on the situation surrounding former Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell's health, with one heavily MAGA-aligned senator this week exposing one of the major reasons why, per The Daily Beast.
McConnell, who became infamous as majority leader for his brute-force tactics to stonewall Democratic legislative goals, was admitted to the hospital in mid-June after being found unresponsive, with further reports indicating that he may have suffered from cardiac arrest. While his staff has insisted that he remains on the mend and is doing well, the fact that he has not been seen since the incident, coupled with his recent history of medical troubles, has led to widespread speculation that he might be near death or dead already.
In a report from Tuesday, The Daily Beast highlighted a post on X from "MAGA social media user Mila Joy," in which they leveled a serious allegation against the GOP for why more senators have not spoken out about McConnell's situation.
"Because they are ALL in on it together. That’s why," Joy wrote in the post.
In response to Joy, Sen. Mike Lee, a Utah senator known for his staunch MAGA loyalism, gave a new reason for why he and his colleagues are not speaking out.
"Many of us aren’t speaking about Mitch McConnell’s condition because we know nothing about his condition," Lee claimed.
The Daily Beast's report noted, however, that Lee's claim appears to have been contradicted weeks ago by comments from Senate Majority Leader John Thune, who claimed to have spoken with his predecessor after his hospitalization. Thune claimed that McConnell "sounded good," and that "He wants to be back, but I’ll defer to his staff on when."
"McConnell’s staff announced June 14 that the Republican had been admitted to the hospital, but gave no real details about why or how serious his condition was," The Daily Beast's report detailed. "Independent journalist Desirée Townsend later obtained EMS dispatch audio from when McConnell was found unconscious at his home after apparently suffering a cardiac arrest. McConnell’s team has since repeatedly issued the same statement when asked for an update on his condition, merely saying he 'appreciates the outpouring of support' while he continues treatment."
It added: "There have been questions about whether McConnell’s team is trying to avoid confirming that the senator will not be able to return to Congress to avoid a special election to replace him."
Unlike in other states, Kentucky's Governor, Democrat Andy Beshear, is disempowered under law to appoint a replacement for any senator who leaves office early. If McConnell dies or resigns prior to August 3, a special election could be triggered to replacement. As The Daily Beast noted, conspiracy theories have suggested that McConnell's staff might be hiding the severity of his condition until after that date, at which point his seat would stay vacant until the midterms.