Sen. Mitch McConnell was hospitalized after experiencing “flu-like symptoms,” Kentucky Republican spokesman David Popp said Tuesday, according to Politico. Popp said McConnell checked himself into a local hospital Monday night, “out of an abundance of caution.”
Mitch McConnell hospitalized after experiencing ‘flu-like symptoms’ (Photographer: Aaron Schwartz/Bloomberg) (Bloomberg)McConnell missed Senate votes on both Monday and Tuesday. His “prognosis is positive,” and he is “in regular contact with his staff and looking forward to getting back to Senate business,” Popp said.
Mitch McConnell health concernsMcConnell raised Health concerns in October 2025 when he collapsed in the basement of a Capitol building after being asked a tense question about US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). A video shows the Republican walking unaided before suddenly collapsing before confronting a protester while asking about ICE. Later he was helped by security.
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McConnell, the longest-serving leader of the party in the history of the upper house, faced widespread scrutiny after a series of public incidents in which he paused for a few seconds while speaking to reporters. After recovering from polio at a young age, he walks with crutches.
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McConnell has suffered similar falls in the past, including one inside the Capitol that left him with minor injuries. He later returned to work in the Senate with a bandage on his cheek.
McConnell froze while speaking on at least two occasions in 2023. Moreover, after going to a dinner in Washington, he was away from the Senate for several weeks. The fall left him bruised and a broken rib, and hospitalized for five nights. He had to undergo physical therapy.
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McConnell, however, has not publicly addressed frequent health concerns. He said in a 2023 interview with CBS’s Face the Nation that he was “fully recovered” after a brief hiatus in front of reporters that same year.
“I’m fine, I’m fully recovered and just fine,” McConnell said at the time.
He insisted at the time that he was “in good condition” but declined to say more about the events.
