2nd statement, photo released from Sen. Mitch McConnell; says he won't attend Fancy Farm - WLKY

What the report says

WLKY Louisville reports that U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell’s press team issued a new written statement and released a second photo following his hospitalization in June. The statement says the Kentucky Republican remains in rehabilitation and has not been medically cleared to return to Congress. It also says he will miss the Fancy Farm picnic on Saturday, a major annual political gathering in western Kentucky that McConnell has attended for many years.

According to WLKY, the photo released by McConnell’s team shows the 84-year-old senator with his wife, Elaine Chao, and was said to have been taken Sunday. The update included a statement attributed to the Office of the Attending Physician, which said McConnell is recovering from a June fall at home, is receiving daily physician visits and is undergoing multiple physical therapy sessions aimed at rebuilding strength and lowering fall risk. The physician’s statement also said childhood polio remains a factor in his mobility and that he is not yet cleared to leave the rehab facility for his Senate office.

WLKY reported that McConnell was hospitalized June 14 after a fall and a mild case of pneumonia, and that he has missed 38 Senate votes since then. The station said his public communication since the hospitalization has come through written statements sent by his team, with no audio or video appearance so far.

The report also noted growing calls for transparency, including from Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, who sent letters seeking information about McConnell’s condition. With McConnell absent, WLKY reported that Sen. Rand Paul is currently Kentucky’s only active senator in Washington.