Mitch McConnell rumors take a turn as MAGA commentator claims he's talking

As rumors continue to grow surrounding the health status of Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY), GOP pundit Scott Jennings claimed on Tuesday he had spoken directly with the Kentucky Republican earlier that morning for “just shy of 20 minutes,” though critics expressed major doubts.

“I spoke to my old friend Mitch McConnell this morning, the senior Senator from Kentucky. He’s still recovering in the hospital,” Jennings wrote in a social media post on X to his nearly 1 million followers.

“We talked for just shy of 20 minutes… about IRAN, UKRAINE, the unfolding situation in MAINE, my visit to the TR Presidential Library, and even a little bit of Senate history. I told him we want to see him back at work as soon as possible.”

McConnell’s office has released few details as to the health status of the Kentucky Republican, who hasn’t been seen publicly since at least mid-June when he was discovered unconscious in his home and was administered CPR for possible cardiac arrest.

A spokesperson for Sen. John Thune's (R-SD) office also claimed that the Majority Leader spoke with McConnell on Tuesday, and the two men had a "lengthy and substantive conversation that covered a variety of topics including national security," reported Lauren Fox, a congressional correspondent with CNN.

McConnell’s office has repeatedly claimed that the 84-year-old lawmaker is still recovering under medical supervision and that his situation is improving, but some, including speech-language pathologist Hilary Booco, suspect McConnell’s state of health to be far more severe than what’s known.

One such skeptic is Kylie Jane Kremer, a prominent MAGA figure who helped organize President Donald Trump’s 2021 rally that culminated in the Jan. 6 Capitol riot, who immediately questioned the validity of Jennings’ claim.

“Fascinating. Mitch McConnell is apparently well enough to spend 20 minutes discussing global geopolitics, but somehow not well enough to record a 30-second video reassuring the people of Kentucky and the world that he’s okay,” Kremer wrote.

“Also, his office of roughly 40 staff members still can’t provide a meaningful update? None of this inspires confidence. If anything, this post raises more questions than it answers.”

Connor Rogers, a Democratic digital strategist whose LinkedIn profile says they worked for Kamala Harris’ 2024 campaign, bluntly alleged “This did not happen” in response to Jennings’ claim. And Mike Nellis, a Democratic political strategist and digital fundraising entrepreneur, also called Jennings’ claim into question.

“I don't believe this one bit – if McConnell were able to take a call from Jennings, they'd be able to put out a video of him letting everyone know he's okay given the rumors of him on life support,” Nellis wrote.