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By Gabe Whisnant
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Conservative commentator Scott Jennings said Tuesday on CNN that he spoke directly with Senator Mitch McConnell and found the Kentucky Republican in an "improving position" as questions continue to swirl around the former Senate leader's health and prolonged absence from public view.
The update comes nearly two months after McConnell largely disappeared from public view following a June 14 fall at his Washington, D.C., home that left him unconscious and led to his hospitalization. While McConnell's office announced last week that he had been discharged from a rehabilitation facility and was continuing his recovery at home, the senator himself has not publicly addressed Kentuckians or the wider public, fueling questions about his condition and ability to serve out the remainder of his term.
Speaking on CNN's The Arena, Jennings said McConnell personally called him Tuesday and appeared engaged, alert and focused on politics. The longtime McConnell ally said the 84-year-old senator discussed several issues, including the Michigan Senate race, broader Republican electoral math, the farm bill and preservation of the Senate filibuster.
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"He called me directly from his phone today," Jennings said, adding that McConnell sounded noticeably better than during an earlier conversation after his hospitalization. "Being at home is better than being in the hospital, that's for sure."
According to Jennings, McConnell's goal is to return to the Senate when lawmakers reconvene on September 14. "I think their plan is to hopefully get him back to the Senate," Jennings said, noting that several legislative issues remain important to the senator before he leaves office in January.
Newsweek reached out to McConnell's home and office via phone call on Tuesday afternoon.
The comments come as Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear, a Democrat, has publicly questioned McConnell's continued silence, arguing that constituents deserve a direct update from the senator himself. Beshear said he has not heard personally from McConnell and suggested the lack of public communication has raised legitimate concerns about the veteran lawmaker's capacity to continue serving.
“Listen, if he supposedly had a 17-minute conversation with Scott Jennings, he can call in and have a three-minute conversation with you,” Beshear told CNN's Kaitlan Collins in July. “He can go to camera and just let us know he’s doing all right, which is what we all ultimately hope for. But it is incumbent upon him to have enough respect for the people of Kentucky and the United States of America to do the bare minimum and be honest and transparent.”
“To be fair, Scott Jennings works for CNN. He can go on air, dial him up, put him on speakerphone, and we can put all the speculation to rest,” Beshear added.
Jennings, who has spoken about his previous chats with the Kentucky senator amid his absence, pushed back on that criticism, describing McConnell as intensely private and noting that the senator, a polio survivor, has long been reluctant to publicly discuss health matters.
While McConnell has not voted in the Senate since June, Jennings said the senator has remained engaged behind the scenes, holding meetings with staff, speaking with fellow senators by phone and continuing to follow legislative developments. McConnell, who announced earlier this year that he would not seek reelection, is serving the final months of a decades-long Senate career as Kentucky prepares to elect his successor in November.
Mitch McConnell Call With Scott Jennings: What We Know
Jennings said his conversation with McConnell suggested the senator remains closely engaged with politics and legislative issues despite being out of public view during his recovery. The conservative commentator said McConnell personally called him on Tuesday and was "really up on the campaigns," discussing key Senate battlegrounds and Republican electoral prospects heading into November.
"We talked a lot about the Michigan Senate race. We talked about Maine a little bit, talking about just the map in general," Jennings said, arguing that the conversation reflected McConnell's continued focus on national politics.
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Beyond campaign strategy, Jennings said McConnell also discussed policy matters that he hopes to address if he returns to Washington when the Senate reconvenes in September.
He said McConnell had spoken with Republican Senator John Boozman of Arkansas about the farm bill and Senator John Curtis, a Republican from Utah, about preserving the filibuster.
"So, I know he was doing sort of senatorial work on the phones as the Senate was winding up its previous session, and I know he’s had a few other visitors to come by and talk to him about other issues. And I know he’s routinely meeting with staff. I do think this farm bill and NDAA stuff coming up is—is pretty important to him," the conservative commentator said.
Jennings said McConnell appears well aware of the questions surrounding his health and prolonged absence from public view. Recounting part of their conversation, Jennings said the senator acknowledged the unusual situation, telling him: "I know this is an unusual circumstance. I'm sitting here, the doctors tell me I don't have any life-threatening issues. It must seem rather strange."
The exchange came as CNN contributor Lulu Garcia-Navarro pressed Jennings on why McConnell has been willing to speak privately with allies but has not publicly addressed reporters or constituents. "Why isn't he calling into even one that he would consider friendly like Fox News?" she asked, arguing that firsthand updates from the senator have become the central issue.
Jennings suggested McConnell's silence reflects a longstanding tendency to keep health matters private rather than any inability to communicate publicly. "My belief about males of that generation is that they're intensely private," he said, adding that the Kentucky Republican, a polio survivor, has historically been reluctant to discuss personal medical issues.
The Arena host Pamela Brown suggested an appearance on Jennings' radio show could help address lingering questions about the senator's health and recovery.
Jennings said he hopes McConnell will eventually do just that.
"I hope that he will call into my radio show. I've had him on before and I'm hoping to have him on as we get closer to when the Senate [returns]," Jennings said.
Even so, Jennings said he got the impression McConnell understands the public concern surrounding his absence and is "somewhat aware of it and frankly somewhat frustrated by it" as scrutiny of his condition continues.
Rand Paul Calls for Patience During McConnell Recovery
Junior Kentucky Senator Rand Paul also urged critics to show patience as McConnell recovers from the health setback that has kept him away from the Senate since June. Speaking in Louisville on Tuesday, as reported by the Louisville Courier Journal, Paul said he still has not spoken directly with McConnell but expressed confidence that the longtime senator is working toward a return.
"I think we ought to have some consideration for the fact that he's trying to come back," Paul said, adding that Kentuckians should "wish him well and hope he gets better soon."
While Paul said McConnell's absence has not yet had a major impact on Senate business, he acknowledged that the former Republican leader's vote could prove important when lawmakers return in September.
"I don't think he's staying out, you know, playing hooky or on vacation in the Caribbean," Paul said. "He's struggling."
Contact Newsweek editors on this story: Sam Wilson.
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