Scott Jennings, a longtime friend and former political director to Senator Mitch McConnell, said the 84-year-old "seemed to be doing a lot better" after leaving rehab and recovering at home following an early-June fall. Jennings described McConnell as private about his health and said home recovery seemed preferable to the hospital. Limited official updates prompted unfounded conspiracy theories that were later debunked. Jennings said McConnell hopes to return to the Senate by Sept. 14; the senator plans to retire at the end of his term next year.
Scott Jennings: Mitch McConnell 'Seems to Be Doing A Lot Better' After Rehab — Eyes Sept. 14 Return
CNN’s Scott Jennings gives update on Mitch McConnell’s ‘private’ health battle
CNN senior political contributor Scott Jennings, a longtime friend and former political director to Senator Mitch McConnell, said Tuesday that the senator "seemed to be doing a lot better" after leaving a rehabilitation facility and returning home to continue his recovery.
CNN Senior Political Contributor Scott Jennings has shared an update on Senator Mitch McConnell'shealth battle, saying that he 'seemed to be doing a lot better' (Reuters/Mitch McConnell's office)
Jennings told colleagues on The Arena With Kasie Hunt that he had spoken with McConnell by phone earlier in the day. He said McConnell, 84, was discharged from the rehab center several days earlier and that being at home appeared to be an improvement over his time in the hospital.
Jennings said McConnell has 'always been a little private about his own personal healthcare' (Getty Images Courtesy of the Rainey Center)
McConnell has not been seen publicly since an early-June fall that required hospitalization and a transfer to a rehabilitation facility. The senator, Kentucky's longest-serving, has a history of health issues dating to childhood polio and has experienced a series of recent falls and occasional public moments in which he appeared to freeze.
Jennings said he believes McConnell is hopeful of getting back to Capitol Hill by September 14 (Reuters)
When asked why McConnell was communicating with friends such as Jennings rather than making media appearances, Jennings said the senator is intensely private about his health. "My belief about males of that generation is that they're intensely private," Jennings said, noting McConnell has long kept personal medical details out of the public eye.
The senator's office has issued only limited written statements and a small number of photos in recent weeks. That restraint briefly fueled baseless conspiracy theories claiming McConnell had died or that his team was hiding his condition. After a hospital photo of McConnell with his wife, Elaine Chao, drew online skepticism, The Washington Post confirmed the image was not AI-generated.
In his most recent statement McConnell said: "On the advice of my doctors, I'll maintain an intensive regimen of physical therapy from home during the state work period, and I'll continue to engage with my staff and colleagues on important Senate business."
Jennings said he believes McConnell is hopeful about returning to Capitol Hill when the Senate reconvenes on Sept. 14. The senator is not seeking re-election and plans to retire at the end of his term next year; a November election in Kentucky will determine his successor and he is expected to leave office in January.
Officials have offered only limited medical detail beyond public statements, and no new independent medical updates were provided in Jennings's account.
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