Allies of Sen. Mitch McConnell (R., Ky.) said Tuesday they have had in-depth conversations with the hospitalized lawmaker in recent days, looking to bat down rumors that his health had sharply deteriorated.

The 84-year-old senator, who has used a wheelchair to move around Capitol Hill, was hospitalized June 14. McConnell's office hasn't disclosed a reason for the hospitalization, fueling speculation about his condition as he serves out the final months of his last term in Congress.

McConnell's office has given few details about his health and hasn't said when he would return to the Senate. The former GOP leader, who had polio as a child, has had a series of health issues in recent years, including repeated falls, a concussion and public episodes where he froze while speaking.

In a series of statements Tuesday, GOP allies vouched for his well-being.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R., S.D..) spoke with McConnell on the phone Monday, a spokesman for Thune said. The two had a "lengthy and substantive conversation that covered a variety of topics, including national security," he said.

A spokeswoman for Sen. John Barrasso (R., Wyo.), No. 2 in Senate GOP leadership, said that Barrasso and McConnell had a roughly 20-minute phone call Tuesday afternoon. On the call, they reviewed Senate races, the developments surrounding Maine Democratic Senate candidate Graham Platner and a recent Supreme Court ruling on spending limits, the spokeswoman said.

After he was hospitalized, McConnell missed votes on nominations and a bipartisan housing bill. The Senate is set to return July 13. With votes expected on the National Defense Authorization Act and President Trump's nominee for Director of National Intelligence, McConnell's absence puts pressure on Senate Republicans navigating an already-narrow majority.

Barrasso's spokeswoman said the two discussed these votes and said that McConnell "was fully engaged and is eager to get back to the Senate."

A spokeswoman for McConnell said last week that the senator appreciates the support he is receiving in recovery and "continues to improve, and is working closely with his staff on Kentucky and Senate matters while the Senate is out of session."

Terry Carmack, McConnell's chief of staff, told The Wall Street Journal on Monday that he had spoken to the senator recently about state matters.

Republican political strategist and CNN contributor Scott Jennings, one of McConnell's oldest political allies, posted to X Tuesday afternoon that when he spoke to the senator that morning they touched on topics including Iran, Ukraine and "even a little bit of Senate history."

"I told him we want to see him back at work as soon as possible," Jennings wrote.

Later, speaking on CNN, Jennings said he didn't know why McConnell was hospitalized, nor did they discuss the senator's health during the call.

McConnell's absence has also put a new focus on how the job would be filled if the senator resigned or died. Under Kentucky law, a special election would be required to fill any Senate vacancy. The winner of any special election would serve out the remainder of McConnell's term, which ends in early January 2027. For the full six-year term, Rep. Andy Barr (R., Ky.), who was endorsed by President Trump, remains the heavy favorite in the November election against former state legislator Charles Booker, who is the Democratic nominee.

Write to Maya Davis at maya.davis@wsj.com and Natalie Andrews at natalie.andrews@wsj.com

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

July 07, 2026 17:14 ET (21:14 GMT)

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