Sen. Mitch McConnell discharged from rehab, will continue physical therapy at home

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) — Kentucky Sen. Mitch McConnell was discharged from rehab Thursday and is now recovering at home from a fall in June that put him in the hospital.

In a statement, McConnell's office said the senator will be continuing physical therapy from home.

"Elaine and I are grateful for the many well wishes and support from friends, colleagues, and Kentuckians, and for the attentive care I've received from excellent doctors, nurses, therapists and hospital staff," McConnell said in a statement. "On the advice of my doctors, I'll maintain an intensive regimen of physical therapy from home during the state work period, and I'll continue to engage with my staff and colleagues on important Senate business."

McConnell's office has previously provided photos of the senator amid his recovery, but did not provide one Thursday.

This comes more than a week after Gov. Andy Beshear sent another letter to McConnell's office, as well as Senate Majority Leader John Thune's office, once again asking the senator to be "honest and transparent" about his recovery after an update from his office that said he was continuing physical therapy and wouldn't be attending Fancy Farm.

The 84-year-old was hospitalized June 14, according to a statement from his office that only said he was "receiving excellent care." A statement a week later said that he would not be voting that week. Then on Thursday, July 2, a new statement said that he "continues to improve" and "appreciates the outpouring of support he's receiving while he continues his recovery in the hospital."

On July 7, 23 days after McConnell's mysterious hospitalization, a spokesperson offered no update to the senator's health but shared three statements from others on social media who said they'd spoken to him.

McConnell was reportedly found "unconscious" at his home in Washington the day of his hospitalization, according to reporting from FOX News. The outlet reported audio from the 911 call on June 14 indicated the senator was "unconscious" when emergency crews were dispatched. The dispatcher also requested an Advanced Life Support (ALS) response.

Video that surfaced last week appeared to show the senator being loaded into an ambulance on the day of his hospitalization. The video, shared with CNN by a neighbor of McConnell's Washington, D.C., home shows a person being loaded into an ambulance the morning of June 14.

The neighbor who recorded the video said Capitol police blocked the street, with two ambulances and a firetruck on scene. A person was then taken from a home on a stretcher wrapped in a blanket, not wearing an oxygen mask. Other neighbors said they saw McConnell's face.

The next day, a spokesperson for the senator said he was continuing his recovery in the hospital.

"As you can imagine, we have been receiving lots of messages from folks, and as the senator continues to recover, we will be sure to keep you updated," a spokesperson said July 11.

"In the meantime, Senator McConnell appreciates the outpouring of support he's receiving while he continues his recovery in the hospital. The senator continues to improve and is working closely with his staff on Kentucky and Senate matters while the Senate is out of session. Thanks for continuing to check in."

On July 12, a photo of the senator was released, as well as a new statement that said a fall led to McConnell's hospitalization and he was undergoing physical therapy.

McConnell said his doctors confirmed he did not break any bones, suffer a concussion, or have a heart attack or stroke. He was briefly unconscious and hospitalized. He also had a mild case of pneumonia while in the hospital.

Last month, Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear said he'd gotten calls suggesting McConnell had died before the senator's office released a statement on his condition July 12.

In an interview with Katie Couric on her YouTube channel, Beshear talked about McConnell's absence and his public call for an update from the senator on his health.

"It had been a month before anything had been put out, not even an official statement from Senator McConnell. In fact, I'd gotten two calls from different agencies, not state agencies, suggesting he'd passed. So, this rampant speculation that was out there, it needed to end," the governor said at the time. "People deserve to know what was going on. Now, we've gotten a little bit, we've gotten one official statement and one picture, and hopefully what that means is he's still with us, which is what we all want. But then there's this question of when can he get back to doing his job."

The governor did not say which agencies he'd received the calls from. A second photo of the senator was released about two weeks after that interview.

Beshear sent a letter to McConnell's office July 8 asking him to provide Kentuckians with an update on his health, saying growing public concern and continued speculation warrant more transparency.

This story may be updated.