Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear said this week that he received two calls from agencies suggesting Senator Mitch McConnell had died while hospitalized.
Speaking in a recent interview, Beshear did not identify the agencies or specify when the calls occurred. The Democratic governor has held office since December 2019.
McConnell was hospitalized for nearly a month before his office issued a detailed statement on July 12. The statement said he was being treated for a fall suffered in June and included a photo of him in a hospital bed with his wife.
Prior to the announcement, his office had not disclosed the reason for the hospitalization, prompting public speculation. Emergency dispatch audio from June 14 indicated he was found unconscious and may have suffered a heart attack.
In his statement, McConnell said he did not break any bones, suffer a concussion, or have a heart attack, stroke, tumor, or hemorrhage. His doctor said he developed pneumonia early in the hospitalization but responded rapidly to antibiotics.
Beshear publicly urged McConnell to be transparent about his condition. He posted that voters deserved an update and called on the senator to end speculation by explaining what was happening.
On July 8, Beshear also sent a letter to the 84-year-old lawmaker requesting a full update on his health status for Kentuckians. McConnell has said he intends to return to the Senate, though no timeline has been provided.
