Missing Mitch McConnell Gets Brutal Message in New Poll
The American public believes that lawmakers such as Kentucky Sen. Mitch McConnell should be more transparent about their health if it hinders their ability to serve in office, a poll has found.
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A CNN survey, conducted as the 84-year-old McConnell remains absent from public life following his hospitalization last month and the July 11 death of 71-year-old South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham, reveals widespread concern about the age of Congress and whether political figures should be more open about their health.
Nearly two-thirds (65 percent) of the 1,225 respondents believe elected officials should “publicly release all medical information” that might affect their ability to serve.
The poll also found that a whopping 92 percent believe it is a problem that one-quarter of members of Congress are 70 or older. The current Congress is among the oldest in U.S. history, with the average age in the Senate standing at 63.9.
Concerns about America’s gerontocracy and aging political leadership have been highlighted amid the ongoing saga surrounding McConnell’s health.
The Kentucky Republican has not made a public appearance since he was found unconscious and required CPR at his Washington, D.C., home on June 14.
In the weeks that followed, McConnell’s team—led by his longtime, camera-shy aide Terry Carmack, who is on track to earn more than $226,000 this year—was heavily criticized for failing to provide any meaningful updates about the senator, including why he was hospitalized or how serious his condition is.
McConnell’s team also repeatedly issued the same statement when asked for an update, merely saying he “appreciates the outpouring of support” while he continues treatment.
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After increasing calls for a so-called “proof of life” to quell rumors surrounding his condition, the senator’s team released a photo of McConnell alongside his wife, Elaine Chao, on July 12, sitting up in hospital holding that day’s copy of The Washington Post. McConnell added that he was hospitalized because of a fall, but that he didn’t “break any bones or suffer a concussion.”
A second photo of McConnell smiling while seated in a chair alongside Chao was released on Monday. It was accompanied by a statement from McConnell’s office saying he is “working hard to get back to my full schedule” in the Senate.
McConnell’s physician added that the 84-year-old is continuing a “strenuous course of physical therapy and rehabilitation” after being discharged from hospital care.
However, more than six weeks after he was hospitalized, there is still no video footage of him speaking or photographs of him standing, further fueling speculation about his condition.
Some Republican figures, including political commentator Scott Jennings, have said they spoke with McConnell in the hospital earlier this month, each claiming the conversation lasted around 20 minutes.
On Monday, Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear wrote a letter to McConnell demanding he “directly and verbally address the people of Kentucky and provide proof of his capacity to serve, or resign.”
“All of this speculation and even this letter could have been avoided with a minimal amount of transparency,” Beshear wrote. “Kentuckians are just asking Senator McConnell to be honest.”
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The Daily Beast has contacted Mitch McConnell’s office for comment.
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