Elaine Chao met CCP VP 3 days after Mitch McConnell was rushed to the hospital

by WorldTribune Staff, July 8, 2026 Non-AI Real World News

The more damage control those close to Sen. Mitch McConnell do, the more bizarre the situation becomes.

The Kentucky Republican has been hospitalized for more than three weeks and his staff have declined to release any information about his condition, fueling much speculation.

Sen. Mitch McConnell has been hospitalized since June 14. / Video Image

McConnell, 84, was hospitalized on June 14 after paramedics found him unconscious inside his Washington, DC residence and performed cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) for a “cardiac arrest.”

Three days after McConnell was hospitalized, his wife, former transportation secretary Elaine Chao, was seen in Beijing meeting with Chinese Vice President Han Zheng.

Related: How dead is Mitch McConnell? Deader than dead, analysis concludes, July 3, 2026

The meeting was widely covered by Chinese propaganda outlets.

Chao’s spokesperson released a statement claiming that she was already out of the country when McConnell’s cardiac incident occurred and that her husband’s health status did not require her to immediately cut her trip short and return to the United States.

A statement released by McConnell’s staff a week after he was admitted to the hospital said that he would not be voting that week. And on Thursday, a new statement said that he ”appreciates the outpouring of support he’s receiving while he continues his recovery in the hospital.” The senator’s staff released the same statement on Tuesday with no new updates.

Sen. Majority Leader John Thune, Senate Majority Whip John Barrasso, and CNN commentator Scott Jennings have all said they had phone conversations with McConnell in recent days.

Utah Republican Sen. Mike Lee said he knew “nothing” about McConnell’s condition and suggested that other senators also had no knowledge.

McConnell announced in December 2024 he would step down as the Senate’s Republican leader after serving in the role for nearly two decades. He also decided in February 2025 he would not seek reelection in this year’s midterms. Rep. Andy Barr won the Kentucky Senate GOP primary race in May and is favored to win in November to replace McConnell.

Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, a Democrat, on Wednesday sent a letter to McConnell’s office requesting an update on the senator’s condition.

“Allowing speculation to continue in the media is not fair to the Senator or to Kentuckians, and my hope is that this provides him the opportunity to share the information in a transparent manner, direct from the source. I wish him a safe and speedy recovery,” Beshear wrote.

“The request for an update comes after reports that Sen. McConnell was admitted to hospital on June 14. Since then, limited information has been shared from the Senator’s official office. The Governor’s administration has seen a rise in inquiries about the health status of the Senator. Rather than contribute to the increased speculation unfolding in the media and public space, Gov. Beshear is reaching out directly to Sen. McConnell to make the request,” Beshear wrote.

Under Kentucky law, the governor must call a special election to fill a vacant U.S. Senate seat. The cutoff date for a special election is Sept. 8.

McConnell was hospitalized in February for flu-like symptoms and was reportedly in the intensive care unit (ICU) from Feb. 2 to Feb. 10. Staffers were frequently seen assisting McConnell while walking around Capitol Hill. He suffered several falls and experienced two on-camera freezing episodes in July 2023.

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