Gov. Andy Beshear (D-KY) requested that Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY) “fully update” Kentucky residents on his health status as rumors surfaced that he may be “brain dead.”
In a letter addressed to McConnell, Beshear said that Kentuckians have been concerned about McConnell’s health and his ability to continue to hold his position in the United States Senate. The senator is reported to have been hospitalized since he was admitted on June 14.
“Over the last several weeks, Kentuckians have grown increasingly concerned about the current state of your health and wellbeing, and ability to hold office in the United States Senate,” Beshear wrote. “As Governor, I request that you fully update Kentuckians regarding the current status of your health.”
Beshear’s letter comes after conservative activist Laura Loomer and journalist Desiree Townsend claimed that unnamed sources alleged that “McConnell is officially brain dead.”
“High level source close to the White House tells me Mitch McConnell is officially brain dead,” Loomer wrote in a post on X. “He’s not coming back.”
However, a spokesperson for McConnell told Breitbart News that the senator “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,” the spokesperson added.
After the rumor surfaced that McConnell was “brain dead,” several people, including CNN’s Scott Jennings, said they had spoken to him. A spokesperson for Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) said Thune had also spoken to McConnell.
“I spoke to my old friend Mitch McConnell this morning, the senior Senator from Kentucky,” Jennings wrote in a post on X. “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.”
Beshear continued in his letter: “As public officeholders, we have made a commitment to our constituents to do our best to represent them and to always be transparent. I believe this requires clear communication about one’s ability to serve.”