Family friend questions authenticity of Mitch McConnell's latest photo with Elaine Chao

A recent photograph released by Senator Mitch McConnell's office showing the 84-year-old lawmaker with his wife, former Labor Secretary Elaine Chao, has drawn criticism from Jeff Yang, a family friend of Chao who has known two of her sisters since college. Yang, an author and podcaster who attended Harvard with several of the Chao sisters, said the image raised doubts about its authenticity.

"I can’t imagine Elaine, one of the most put-together people in existence, releasing a pic wearing a thin shirt over a visible black bra, untucked. Just implausible," Yang said.

Yang pointed to Chao’s outfit—a seashell-printed white blouse identified through a reverse image search as a low-priced item sold by the retail brand Chico’s—as a key reason for his skepticism. He noted that the same shirt is listed for as little as $12 on second-hand markets.

The photo, which shows McConnell smiling in a blue button-down shirt, is the latest visual evidence the senator’s office has provided since his hospitalization on June 14 following a fall. The office previously issued a statement on July 12 and another photo on July 27, both of which were met with doubts from Democrats and some Republicans who requested video proof of his condition.

Former Republican lawmaker Jason Chaffetz and Democratic strategist Mike Nellis publicly urged McConnell to appear on camera or provide a video to confirm his health status. McConnell’s communications director, Stephanie Penn, did not respond to requests for comment.

In addition to the new photo, the senator’s office released an unsigned statement from an unnamed attending physician, stating that McConnell continues a strenuous physical-therapy regimen and has not yet been cleared to leave the rehabilitation facility.