Sen. Mitch McConnell's ongoing health situation continues to get murkier and murkier, with a Daily Beast report alleging new evidence of a "cover-up."
McConnell, the Kentucky Republican best known for his many years as Senate Majority Leader, was hospitalized in mid-June, with initial reports suggesting that he was found unresponsive after having a heart attack. Conspiracy theories about his condition began to emerge as he remained absent from the public eye and his office appeared to be keeping details a secret.
Earlier this month, his office released a new photo of the senator alongside his wife, with a statement claiming that he had suffered a fall and been hospitalized after developing pneumonia, but was recovering well. This effort did little to convince people that his real condition was not being hidden from the public, with theories suggesting that he was incapacitated or already dead. Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear later claimed to have heard from two "different agencies" that the latter was the case.
Now, The Daily Beast published a new report on Tuesday detailing what appeared to be a suspicious security presence outside the hospital McConnell was admitted to, suggesting that things might not be as his office claimed.
"The row of black SUVs sitting outside the George Washington University Hospital is the only sign that something mysterious is going on inside," the report explained. "Thirty-seven days after 84-year-old Sen. Mitch McConnell was admitted to the D.C. hospital after a reported cardiac arrest, a Capitol Police detail is stationed outside the facility. But even though [the] Senate is resuming this week, McConnell’s office stubbornly refuses to answer questions about the senator’s condition or when, if ever, he might return to work."
The report further noted that the positioning of the vehicles could indicate that someone is trying to keep the comings and goings of the hospital's staff "more discreet."
"The Daily Beast has visited the hospital over the past few days and observed security vehicles sitting on the street near a driveway that allows staff to get into the hospital through a more discreet entrance," the report added.
It continued: "While Beshear has acknowledged that McConnell’s health is a personal matter, he has also suggested that prolonged inability to work raises legitimate questions about representation given the senator has now missed dozens of votes during his absence. "The Democratic governor, who could appoint a temporary replacement if a Senate vacancy were to be created, is also facing a growing backlash within his own party to be more aggressive against McConnell."
