Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) on Monday gave an update on Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY), saying he is ready to come back to Capitol Hill following his most recent hospitalization.
McConnell, 84, was hospitalized Sunday for reasons that haven’t been made public, after experiencing visible symptoms of aging in the last several years. The latest development came after the elderly senator had a roughly eight-day hospital stay in February for “flu-like symptoms.”
This week, Thune revealed he spoke with McConnell following his most recent hospitalization. The majority leader said the Kentucky senator “sounded good” and “wants to be back.”
“He is clearly dialed in to what’s going on,” Thune said, according to ABC News. “He’s following along with stuff we are doing this week up here. Very much so.”
McConnell was the longest-serving Senate leader in history before stepping aside to allow Thune to fill the top spot in January 2025. The following month, McConnell announced he would not seek reelection, meaning he will leave Congress in January 2027.
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McConnell has appeared to be in decline since fracturing his shoulder in a 2019 fall. Particularly throughout 2023 and 2024, he suffered from several public falls and froze multiple times. In October 2025, McConnell again fell while walking through the U.S. Capitol ahead of a Senate vote.
Spokesperson Stephanie Penn told multiple outlets Monday that “Senator McConnell is fully engaged with staff on Senate business and Kentucky matters and is very appreciative of the outstanding care he is receiving.”