Scott Jennings, senior political contributor and conservative commentator for CNN, said on Tuesday that he had a lengthy conversation with Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY) in the hospital.
“I spoke to my old friend Mitch McConnell this morning, the senior Senator from Kentucky. He’s still recovering in the hospital. We talked for just shy of 20 minutes … about IRAN, UKRAINE, the unfolding situation in MAINE, my visit to the TR Presidential Library, and even a little bit of Senate history,” Jennings said.
“I told him we want to see him back at work as soon as possible,” he added.
I spoke to my old friend Mitch McConnell this morning, the senior Senator from Kentucky. He’s still recovering in the hospital. We talked for just shy of 20 minutes … about IRAN, UKRAINE, the unfolding situation in MAINE, my visit to the TR Presidential Library, and even a…
— Scott Jennings (@ScottJenningsKY) July 7, 2026
There have been unverified rumors circulating online that McConnell is “brain dead” and won’t return to Congress.
Daily Mail explained further:
Senate Majority Leader John Thune also had a ‘lengthy and substantive’ phone call with McConnell on topics including national security on Monday, NOTUS reported.
The health update on McConnell comes after the 84-year-old was admitted to hospital on the morning of June 14 following a medical emergency at his Washington, DC, home. Paramedics responded to a report of an unconscious person believed to have suffered a ‘cardiac arrest,’ with a medic reporting ‘CPR in progress’ at the address.
The senator was not named on the call, and his office has never confirmed what sent him to the hospital, saying only that he is receiving ‘excellent care.’
The speculation surrounding McConnell has intensified in recent days because his aides have refused to release new information regarding his condition or whether he will return to work as the GOP fights to maintain its razor-thin majority.
Trump conspiracy theorist Laura Loomer claimed that an unnamed White House source told her that McConnell is in a ‘vegetative state’ or ‘brain dead’ and is ‘not coming back’ to work.
“Believe me when I tell you, Mitch McConnell is a vegetable. Passing the Save America Act and getting Trump’s agenda codified is much easier than covering up for a man who is never going to be the same. Do you know what happens to your brain when you’re found unconscious for a long period of time and you fall and hit your head at 84?” Loomer wrote on Tuesday.
“Show us his brain scan. They never will. We know why. I have enough contacts to know the truth,” she added.
Believe me when I tell you, Mitch McConnell is a vegetable.
Passing the Save America Act and getting Trump’s agenda codified is much easier than covering up for a man who is never going to be the same.
Do you know what happens to your brain when you’re found unconscious for a… https://t.co/M0doQ2GDvc
— Laura Loomer (@LauraLoomer) July 7, 2026
Desirée Townsend, the journalist who first obtained a recording from emergency responders suggesting McConnell was unconscious after suffering a cardiac arrest, said she has “heard the same thing” as Loomer.
“I have heard the same thing from my sources for days. At this point, I am at the hospital for when they eventually decide to move cut him off of life support and move his body. His Capitol police detail is still here as of 3:39pm ET,” Townsend said on Monday.
I have heard the same thing from my sources for days. At this point, I am at the hospital for when they eventually decide to move cut him off of life support and move his body. His Capitol police detail is still here as of 3:39pm ET. https://t.co/tSTetm51de
— Desirée Townsend (@Cheering4Change) July 6, 2026
“I think this whole situation surrounding Mitch McConnell just became far more serious. What authority was Elaine Chao acting under when she met with a senior CCP while her husband, a sitting U.S. senator, was hospitalized following a reported medical emergency? Elaine Chao hasn’t held a U.S. government position since January 7, 2021, when she resigned as Secretary of Transportation. The Logan Act prohibits unauthorized private citizens from conducting correspondence or negotiations with foreign governments regarding disputes or matters involving the United States,” said Kylie Jane Kremer, co-founder of the conservative political advocacy organization ‘Women for America First.’
“If Elaine Chao was representing the United States with authorization from the U.S. government, the State Department should say so. If she was acting solely as a private citizen while discussing U.S.-China relations with senior Chinese officials, it raises legitimate questions about whether the Logan Act could apply. The State Department should immediately explain whether this meeting was officially sanctioned, what capacity Elaine Chao was serving in, and whether she had authorization to engage in those discussions,” she continued.
“President Trump has previously criticized Elaine Chao over her family’s business ties to China. Regardless of politics, the American people deserve transparency about the purpose of this meeting. These questions are even more important because there are still serious unanswered questions about Senator McConnell’s condition. We still do not know the status of a sitting U.S. senator while his wife was meeting with the CCP. Finally, has anyone confirmed whether Elaine Chao has returned to the United States? If so, when? If not, where is she now? This is a national security issue. The American people deserve answers,” she added.
I think this whole situation surrounding Mitch McConnell just became far more serious.
What authority was Elaine Chao acting under when she met with a senior CCP while her husband, a sitting U.S. senator, was hospitalized following a reported medical emergency?
Elaine Chao… https://t.co/wWHGtd38Wq pic.twitter.com/I8ZHLK1fiV
— Kylie Jane Kremer (@KylieJaneKremer) July 6, 2026
More from The Daily Beast:
Later Monday night, Loomer followed up on her initial post, claiming that a White House source told her McConnell was in “organ failure.”
“The White House has been told ‘McConnell isn’t ever coming back,'” she added.
McConnell’s office would not even confirm if he was conscious and would not say whether he was on life support. When the Daily Beast requested clarification, a spokesperson pointed to a statement released on July 2, saying: “Senator McConnell appreciates the outpouring of support he’s receiving while he continues his recovery in the hospital.
“The Senator continues to improve, and is working closely with his staff on Kentucky and Senate matters while the Senate is out of session.”
On Monday, McConnell’s communications director, Stephanie Penn, said in response to specific questions from the Daily Beast about the senator’s condition that the office “will be sure to keep you updated.”
