With alarms sounding across the political landscape, American voters are urgently seeking clarity on the state of Mitch McConnell’s health after he was seen being placed into an ambulance, subsequently vanishing from the public eye.
In a revealing poll conducted by Daily Mail/JL Partners, a mere 9 percent of voters express strong confidence that the 84-year-old Kentucky senator will fulfill his current term.
Adding to the chorus of uncertainty, 17 percent of respondents claim some faith in McConnell’s ability to continue, while 24 percent hold little confidence. A significant 25 percent of participants harbor no confidence whatsoever, and 26 percent remain uncertain.
The health concerns escalated on June 14 when McConnell was hospitalized. On the very day, emergency services responded to a distress call from his residence, with dispatch communications hinting at a cardiac arrest incident.
Despite the mounting questions, the Senator’s office has neither confirmed nor clarified whether the emergency call involved McConnell, offering only sparse details regarding his health status.
His neighbors told the Daily Mail that two of the senator’s aides were ‘obviously distraught’ and ‘crying’ as he was taken to the hospital by emergency responders.
But McConnell’s staff refused for weeks to disclose why he was admitted, or the state of his condition, and the information vacuum sparked speculation and rumors online that he was dead.
The poll suggests those rumors have taken hold, with three in ten voters, 30 percent, saying it is somewhat or very believable that McConnell is no longer alive.
Only 17 percent call the claim not at all believable, while 11 percent say it is somewhat unbelievable, 24 percent say neither and 17 percent remain unsure.
As rumors about his condition began to spread online amid his month-long disappearance, McConnell released a photo alongside his wife Elaine Chao
McConnell finally broke his silence on July 12, telling Kentuckians in a letter that a fall last month left him briefly unconscious and that he has also been dealing with a mild case of pneumonia.
The senator said doctors confirmed he suffered no broken bones, concussion, heart attack, stroke, tumors or hemorrhages, and he released a photo alongside his wife Elaine Chao.
McConnell also said he was moving from the hospital to a rehabilitation center to continue regaining his strength.
Voters overwhelmingly believe the disclosure came too late, with 54 percent saying McConnell should have revealed his health problems earlier.
However, 20 percent of voters say he was right not to and 26 percent who are unsure.
The weeks of secrecy drew growing demands for information, including from Kentucky’s Democratic Governor Andy Beshear.
McConnell suffered several other health incidents in recent months, including a public fall in the US Capitol.
He was seen using a wheelchair for the better part of the year.
A neighbor, who went out into the street to see what was going on, found two of the senator’s aides ‘obviously distraught’ and ‘crying’. Within moments, two police officers carrying emergency medical packs were rushing into McConnell’s (red-bricked) home
McConnell’s neighbors have described a string of concerning incidents at the property dating back to the beginning of this year
71-year-old Senator Lindsey Graham suddenly died earlier this month
Fellow Republicans, such as Senate Majority Leader John Thune insisted they had recently spoken with McConnell and that he remained in good spirits.
The wave of distrust comes at a jittery moment for the aging Senate, after the sudden death of South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham.
Graham, 71, died at his Washington home on the night of July 11 just hours after returning from a trip to Ukraine.
The District of Columbia medical examiner’s preliminary findings later attributed his death to an aortic dissection.
Even with that official explanation, 37 percent of voters say they are concerned about Graham’s cause of death, while 45 percent say they are unconcerned.
The Daily Mail poll surveyed 1,021 registered voters online between July 17 and July 20, and the poll carries a margin of error of 3.1 percentage points.