McConnell Addresses Health Concerns, Denies Stroke or Heart Attack

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, 84, issued a statement Sunday to quell rumors about his health, confirming he is recovering from a hospitalization in mid-June.

McConnell's office stated he was hospitalized after a fall but suffered no serious injuries. While he briefly lost consciousness, his doctors treated him for a mild case of pneumonia. "I did not have a heart attack or stroke. I have no tumors, no bleeding," McConnell said in the statement, which was released by his office.

He is currently undergoing rehabilitation and will not return to the Senate to vote in the immediate future, following his doctors' advice. A photograph was included with the statement, showing a smiling McConnell with his wife, Elaine Chao, holding a copy of The Washington Post, seemingly to address online speculation about his condition.

McConnell's physician noted that his recent falls are related to long-term effects from polio he contracted in childhood. The statement comes on the same day news broke of the unexpected death of fellow Republican Senator Lindsey Graham at age 71. McConnell, a prominent figure in conservative politics, has served in the Senate since 1985 and previously led Senate Republicans for nearly two decades.

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I did not have a heart attack or stroke. I have no tumors, no bleeding.