GOP Senators Say They Had Long Talks With McConnell

Republican senators are citing phone calls to rebut mounting questions about Sen. Mitch McConnell's health. Spokespeople for Senate Majority Leader John Thune and Majority Whip John Barrasso say both men held extended calls with the hospitalized Kentucky senator this week, describing the conversations as detailed and wide-ranging, Politico reports. Thune's office said he and McConnell spoke Monday and "had a lengthy and substantive conversation that covered a variety of topics, including national security."

Barrasso's team said he and McConnell talked by phone for about 20 minutes Tuesday, touching on Senate races, the Graham Platner scandal, a recent Supreme Court ruling on coordinated campaign spending, and the chamber's agenda. A Barrasso spokeswoman said McConnell was "fully engaged and is eager to get back to the Senate." A longtime McConnell adviser, Scott Jennings, also said he spoke with the senator on Tuesday. "We talked for just shy of 20 minutes" about issues including Iran, Ukraine, "and even a little bit of Senate history," Jennings said on X. "I told him we want to see him back at work as soon as possible."

McConnell's office has not disclosed why he was hospitalized June 14 or the nature of his ongoing care, leading to speculation about when—or if—the 84-year-old will return to the chamber, the AP reports. MAGA influencer Laura Loomer has claimed on X that he is "brain dead" and senators are covering it up. "The Senator continues to improve, and is working closely with his staff on Kentucky and Senate matters while the Senate is out of session," a McConnell spokesperson said Tuesday. His team issued an identical statement last week, Axios reports.