Rep. Marlin Stutzman (R-IN) on Thursday said he’s unsure if Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY) is alive following weeks of speculation since the lawmaker’s hospitalization following a medical emergency last month.
McConnell was hospitalized in June for a medical event that his office has not disclosed. The event has triggered questions about whether he will be able to finish his term, as his staff has offered scant details.
GOP lawmakers, including Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD), have claimed to have had positive phone calls with McConnell during his hospital stay, but Stutzman said the party should be demanding more answers.
“As a Republican, I think we need to hold our own party accountable, so the fact that we haven’t heard anything really from Sen. McConnell is very discouraging and concerning,” Stutzman told News Nation.
During his interview with the outlet, Stutzman was asked if he knew that McConnell was alive.
“I don’t,” Stutzman said. “The things that I’ve heard and seen from some friends are that he’s obviously not doing well, but I don’t know if he’s alive or has passed away.”
President Donald Trump on Wednesday said he has not received any information about the 84-year-old senator’s status. The president was asked if he had talked to McConnell, but said he hadn’t and had “no idea how he’s doing.” Trump’s comments poured cold water on the optimism projected by top Republicans.
Due to the lack of updates from McConnell’s office, Gov. Andy Beshear (D-KY) on Wednesday sent a letter to the senator requesting an update on his health.
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“Allowing speculation to continue in the media is not fair to the Senator or to Kentuckians, and my hope is that this provides him the opportunity to share the information in a transparent manner, direct from the source,” Beshear wrote in his letter.
Multiple outlets have reported that first responders were called to McConnell’s Washington, D.C., home and referenced “cardiac arrest” during the call, citing emergency dispatch audio. Conservative social media commentator Laura Loomer also said an unnamed source told her McConnell was “brain dead” with “machines keeping him alive,” but provided no additional evidence to support her claims. McConnell’s office has not commented on either report.