Mitch McConnellthe longest-serving senator in Kentucky history, is making headlines again after being hospitalized in Washington, DC. The 84-year-old lawmaker was hospitalized on June 14, 2026, according to his office, which said he was receiving medical attention but did not provide further details about his condition.
The latest health scare comes after a series of medical incidents in recent years, including several falls, public freezing episodes and a hospitalization for flu-like symptoms earlier in 2026.
Earlier in 2025, on February 20 – his birthday – McConnell announced he would not seek re-election in 2026, marking the end of a Senate career that has spanned nearly four decades. Sharing his decision while in the Senate, the politician said, “Seven times my fellow Kentuckians have sent me to the Senate. Every day in between, I am humbled by the trust they have placed in me to do their business right here. Representing our commonwealth has been the honor of a lifetime. I will not seek this honor for an eighth time in my current term.”
In light of his decision to step down after a long stint, we’ve gathered all the details we know about McConnell’s health. Keep reading to learn about McConnell’s health history.
Mitch McConnell is in a wheelchair after falling several times today pic.twitter.com/pDd03oBgQl
— Max Cohen (@maxpcohen) 5 February 2025
Mitch McConnell’s Falls
McConnell experienced another fall on October 16, 2025, in a hallway in the Senate office while on his way to cast votes. Footage captured him grabbing an aide’s arm before losing his balance and falling. He was quickly helped up and continued to vote, and his office said he was “ready to vote again.”
This latest tumble adds to a troubling pattern of events: McConnell previously broke his shoulder (2019), suffered a concussion and a rib injury in a fall in 2023, slipped off a plane at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport later that year, and in late 2024 hurt his wrist and cut his face during a Senate event.
In February 2025, he fell twice in the Capitol after votes, briefly requiring the use of a wheelchair. A spokesman for McConnell’s team assured the public that he was “fine” and pointed out that the “lingering effects of polio in his left leg will not interfere with his normal work schedule,” according to NBC News.
Mitch McConnell’s heart surgery
In 2003, McConnell underwent elective coronary bypass surgery, per Roll call. At the time, Dr. Alan Spier that the politician’s “postoperative course would be uncomplicated and the prognosis for a full and unrestricted recovery is excellent.”
Mitch McConnell’s Polio Story
As a small child, McConnell suffered a bout of polio in 1944, and his upper left leg was paralyzed by the disease. Although paralysis is a less common side effect of the disease, post-polio syndrome can follow a patient years after they have recovered from the virus.
In an old campaign ad, McConnell noted that his family “almost broke” while trying to pay for the costs of his polio.
Is Mitch McConnell retiring?
Yes, on February 20, 2025, McConnell officially announced that he would not seek re-election in 2026, saying that his current Senate term (which ends in January 2027) will be his last.
