Kentucky’s Democratic Governor, Andy Beshear, has issued a strong call to Republican Senator Mitch McConnell, urging him to affirm his capability to continue serving in the U.S. Congress following an extended hospitalization. Beshear insists that if McConnell cannot do so, he should step down.
In a letter addressed to McConnell, Governor Beshear stressed the importance of the 84-year-old lawmaker directly communicating with the people of Kentucky about his health and readiness to fulfill his senatorial duties.
“I urge you to openly and verbally engage with the citizens of Kentucky to demonstrate your ability to serve, or to resign,” Beshear wrote emphatically in his message to the senator.
This appeal came after McConnell’s office announced on Monday that while the senator had been released from the hospital, he had not yet been declared fit to leave the rehabilitation facility where he is undergoing physical therapy. Consequently, McConnell remains unable to resume his senatorial responsibilities.
Moreover, his office confirmed that McConnell would be absent from a significant political event in Kentucky, as well as from important upcoming Senate votes, further raising concerns about his capacity to serve.
“I’m still working hard to get back to my full schedule of work in the Senate and in Kentucky, keeping up with intense physical therapy per my doctors’ orders. Unfortunately, that means I won’t be able to make it to Fancy Farm, Kentucky, this Saturday … As always, I appreciate all of your continued well wishes, and I’m looking forward to getting back to the Senate and to Kentucky soon,” McConnell said in a statement.
McConnell was hospitalized on June 14 and later revealed that it was due to a fall at his home.
“Since his discharge from hospital care, he has maintained a strenuous course of physical therapy and rehabilitation, including multiple sessions a day designed to rebuild strength and reduce the risk of future falls. His bout with childhood polio continues to be a significant factor in his mobility. He is not yet medically cleared to leave the rehab facility and return to the office,” the Attending Physician’s office said in a statement.
The physician’s statement focused on McConnell’s mobility, physical rehabilitation and risk of future falls and did not raise concerns about his cognitive condition.
Beshear first urged McConnell earlier this month to release more information about his health after weeks of no public comments.
The governor also sent a letter on Tuesday to Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., calling on him to investigate McConnell’s condition if the senator does not prove that he is capable of continuing his term.
“All of this speculation and even this letter could have been avoided with a minimal amount of transparency,” Beshear wrote to Thune.
Fox News Digital has reached out to the offices of Beshear, McConnell and Thune.
Since he was hospitalized last month, McConnell’s office has issued major updates on July 12 and July 27, with each notice featuring a photograph.
This comes amid intensified public scrutiny of aging elected officials in recent years over mental gaffes and deaths in office.
The dispute comes amid heightened scrutiny of aging elected officials and transparency surrounding their health. Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., died in office in 2023, while Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., died earlier this month. Former President Joe Biden ended his 2024 re-election campaign after concerns about his age and health became a dominant political issue.