Sen. Mitch McConnell Skips Fancy Farm Event Due to Ongoing Rehabilitation
Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky will not be attending the annual Fancy Farm political convention this weekend as he is currently undergoing rigorous physical therapy. He is waiting for his doctor’s approval to return to his Senate duties after his rehabilitation.
On Monday, McConnell’s office shared a new photograph of the 84-year-old senator alongside his wife, Elaine Chao, who formerly served as Transportation Secretary. They mentioned that the photo was taken the previous day.
According to Andrew Desiderio, a senior Congressional reporter for Punchbowl News, the physician in charge of McConnell’s care confirmed that he has been “discharged.” However, despite completing his hospital treatment, he’s “not yet medically cleared to leave the rehab facility and return to the office.”
McConnell stated that he is diligently continuing his physical therapy, as advised by his doctors. This treatment is designed to help him regain strength and reduce the likelihood of future falls.
His office also released a statement on Monday, saying:
“I am still working hard to return to my full schedule of work in the Senate and Kentucky while continuing intensive physical therapy as directed by my doctors. Unfortunately, that means I won’t be able to go to Fancy Farm in Kentucky this Saturday.
There’s no better place to spend the first Saturday in August than eating pork and lamb with the good people of Western Kentucky. When I first joined 42 years ago, Fancy Farm was a pretty lonely place for Republicans. But times have changed. Western Kentucky is now a red sea of conservative Republicans. So, while we will be disappointed to miss out on the fun this year, we wish everyone in the St. Jerome community every success with their picnics.
As always, we thank you all for your continued well-being and look forward to returning to the Senate and the State of Kentucky soon.”
McConnell had previously stated that on July 12, he fell and momentarily lost consciousness. He was hospitalized, where he was diagnosed with mild pneumonia. After numerous tests, doctors confirmed that he had no fractures, concussion, heart attack, stroke, tumor, or internal bleeding. Following this, he was moved from the hospital to a rehabilitation center, where he showed signs of improvement.
Senator Josh Hawley from Missouri later criticized McConnell, asserting that elected officials should keep their voters informed about long-term absences. He expressed concern that McConnell’s absence, coupled with Senator Lindsey Graham’s death, left Republicans without two vital votes for advancing President Trump’s agenda. An earlier letter from McConnell’s team noted that his fall was linked to a childhood battle with polio and that he had yet to receive clearance to return to the Senate floor.
