Fox News Pundit Says McConnell Should Step Down If He Won’t Return

Fox News commentator Joe Concha says Mitch McConnell must either resume his Senate duties or resign after spending months away from Washington while recovering from illness and injuries. McConnell, 84, returned home in early August following hospitalization after a serious fall. The former Senate majority leader has not appeared publicly for more than 80 days, apart from a photograph that some observers described as a “proof of life” image. Kentucky Republican Rep. James Comer has said he expects McConnell to return when the Senate reconvenes on September 14. Appearing on Fox News’ The Big Weekend Show, Concha said McConnell needed to make a decision. “I’ll say it. If McConnell does not come back in September, he needs to step down! Enough of this already,” Concha said. He argued that the images and health updates released by McConnell’s team were not enough. “How many months has it been since we heard from him directly? I don’t want to see proof of life photos from a hospital bed anymore!

He needs to get in front of a microphone and prove he can do this job.” The Daily Mail has contacted Sen. McConnell for comment. Comer, a leading Kentucky Republican in the House, told the Daily Mail on Thursday that he had not spoken directly with McConnell. Still, he said he both expected and hoped the senator would be back in Washington with his colleagues on September 14. “I have not talked to Leader McConnell.

I’ve talked to staff, many of whom are from my district originally, and they have all said it’s their goal for Senator McConnell to be here when they, when the Senate comes in next week,” Comer told the Daily Mail during a Capitol Hill press conference. The Daily Mail’s attempts to obtain updates from McConnell’s office and other members of Kentucky’s congressional delegation were unsuccessful. McConnell was hospitalized on June 14 and has not been seen publicly since. In July, he spoke by telephone with several congressional colleagues, telling them he was recovering and hoped to return to work soon.

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McConnell released another photograph at the end of July showing him with his wife, reportedly at their home, as questions about his health continued to mount. A statement from his doctor accompanying the image said: “Senator McConnell continues his recovery from a fall at home in June. Since his discharge from hospital care, he has maintained a strenuous course of physical therapy and rehabilitation.” McConnell, who is not seeking re-election in this year’s midterms, has faced a series of health concerns during his final Senate term.

“The Senator continues to improve, and is working closely with his staff on Kentucky and Senate matters while the Senate is out of session,” his office told reporters in July, before the August recess. The House returned to Washington this week, while senators are not scheduled to come back until September 14. A fall in February left McConnell using a wheelchair and relying on an aide to move through Capitol corridors. That incident came after a December 2024 tumble that sprained his wrist and left him with cuts to his face.

The falls followed earlier incidents in which McConnell appeared to freeze in public. In July 2023, he stopped speaking mid-sentence during a press conference and stared ahead silently. Several weeks later in Kentucky, when asked whether he planned to seek re-election, the then-81-year-old stood motionless for about 30 seconds as aides stepped in. McConnell, the longest-serving party leader in Senate history, first entered the chamber in 1985. His later years in office were marked by a bitter split with Donald Trump and the MAGA movement, which has never forgiven him. He relinquished the Republican leadership in 2024 after 18 years, turning the role over to John Thune. His retirement opened up Kentucky’s Senate seat, with Congressman Andy Barr winning May’s primary to become the Republican nominee for November.