Beshear Says Officials Called Suggesting McConnell Had Died

Kentucky's governor is now saying more about the rumor mill surrounding Mitch McConnell's health. In a Wednesday interview with Katie Couric, Gov. Andy Beshear said that before McConnell's Sunday health update, he received two calls from officials at unnamed nonstate agencies "suggesting he's passed," reports the Courier-Journal. Beshear said there has been no direct contact between his office and McConnell or his staff since the senator was hospitalized on June 14, and that the silence on the matter prompted his July 8 public push for more transparency. Earlier this week, McConnell finally offered an update, noting he'd briefly lost consciousness after a fall at home, with tests ruling out fractures, stroke, tumors, heart problems, and other serious issues; he also said he'd developed pneumonia at one point but recovered with antibiotics.

Beshear has called McConnell's statement "a step in the right direction" but said Kentucky constituents deserve more detail. He also signaled he'll be looking into how he'd handle any potential vacancy in McConnell's seat before the Republican senator's term ends in early 2027, citing a state constitutional provision on gubernatorial appointments, a GOP-backed state law governing Senate vacancies, and "a lot of options ... on the table." Beshear didn't let up this week, doubling down on asking McConnell to ease Kentuckians' minds, per LEX 18. "It's been reported that he's had ... 20-minute conversations with different individuals," Beshear said. "Call into a news station for five minutes, put out a short video. ... We all want him to be OK, but when you're in these jobs ... just a little bit more to assure people would be helpful."