McConnell's staff declines comment as senator returns home from rehab
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Sen. Mitch McConnell was discharged from a rehabilitation facility and returned to his Washington home, but his aides declined to discuss his health or recent public appearances.
Sen. Mitch McConnell, 84, was released from a rehabilitation center on Thursday and returned to his Washington, D.C., residence after being hospitalized for nearly two months. A healthcare worker was seen at the home, but neither the provider nor the senator’s chief of staff, Terry Carmack, responded to reporters’ inquiries, according to political correspondent Nicholas A. Ballasy, who posted the footage online.
McConnell’s operations director, Melissa Bennett, also declined to explain why the senator has not released a video update in the roughly 60 days since he was taken from his home by ambulance, and she did not comment on his current health status after visiting the residence.
In video shared by independent journalist Desirée Townsend, boxes for a pair of “MCombo lift recliners” were visible through the front door. The recliners are motorized chairs intended for elderly or mobility-impaired individuals, allowing users to tilt forward to stand or recline.
The senator’s office has not responded to requests for comment. While colleagues have said they have spoken with McConnell about policy and three statements attributed to him have been issued, he has not appeared publicly or been filmed speaking since his hospitalization on June 14.
Two photographs released by the senator’s team show him and his wife, Elaine Chao, seated in a hospital bed without visible medical equipment. Earlier video footage broadcast by CNN showed emergency responders loading a possibly unconscious McConnell onto a stretcher outside his home on June 14 after a reported heart attack that required CPR.
A statement attributed to McConnell said he was discharged to continue recovery at home and expressed gratitude for well-wishes and the care provided by medical staff.