Senator Mitch McConnell returned to Congress on Monday, appearing in public for the first time since he was hospitalized after a fall three months ago. As footage appeared of the moment the 84-year-old was helped out of his Washington home where he gave a thumbs up to cameras, attention quickly turned to the differences in his appearance since he was last seen in public. McConnell returned to the Senate on September 14 after nearly three months away following his June hospitalization.
In a statement, the Kentucky Republican said he was continuing physical therapy and was not yet "100 percent," but planned to return for important votes. McConnell was last seen publicly before his hospitalization on June 6, when he attended a Senate Appropriations subcommittee hearing and was photographed carrying out his duties on Capitol Hill. Days earlier, the senator was seen holding onto two aides as he attended votes on a reconciliation package in the Senate chamber.
Just over a week later, on June 14, the Kentucky Republican suffered a fall that led to his hospitalization and triggered a months-long absence from the Senate. During that period, McConnell's office released only limited updates on his recovery. A photograph shared from a rehabilitation facility showed the senator standing and receiving physical therapy, but he was otherwise largely absent from public view.
McConnell re-emerged on September 14 in footage showing him being assisted from his Washington home and transported in a wheelchair. The most visible difference between McConnell's latest appearance and images from before his hospitalization is his use of a wheelchair. In the new footage, he is seen using a wheelchair as he leaves his residence.
He appeared to smile as he was helped into a car outside his home, giving a thumbs up to the camera. In video footage shared by TMZ of the moment the senator left his home, McConnell was helped out of his front door and into a car. On social media, the video was quickly clipped to focus on a shot of the senator inside his car, appearing to stare straight forwards.
The moment even prompted some social media users to speculate that McConnell "doesn’t even know where he is or what day it is." But full footage gave better context, and even showed the 84-year-old giving a wave, smile and thumbs up to the waiting press pack and cameras before the door was closed behind him. Mitch McConnell was hospitalized on June 14 after suffering a fall. He remained away from the Senate for months afterward, marking one of the longest absences of his career.
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