Mitch McConnell's team says his health is improving, but questions remain

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While questions about Sen. Mitch McConnell's hospitalization continue to mount, his office says the former Senate majority leader is improving."The Senator continues to improve, and is working closely with his staff on Kentucky and Senate matters while the Senate is out of session," McConnell's office said in a statement to USA TODAY on July 7."Senator McConnell appreciates the outpouring of support he’s receiving while he continues his recovery in the hospital," it added.The statement echoes an update his office previously shared with USA TODAY on July 1.McConnell was hospitalized on June 14, his office said, without providing further details about what the senator is being treated for.At 84 years old, McConnell is among the oldest sitting U.S. senators. He was elected to the office in 1984 and served as the chamber's Republican leader from 2007 until 2024, when he was succeeded by Sen. John Thune of South Dakota.The Kentucky Republican is not seeking reelection at the end of his term this year after more than four decades in office.Is Mitch McConnell in the hospital? The latest on his healthMcConnell was admitted to the hospital on the morning of June 14, spokesperson David Popp confirmed."He is receiving excellent care," Popp said at the time.But more questions about his condition arose after audio from an emergency dispatch call to McConnell's house emerged.Just before 9 a.m. on June 14, emergency responders were called to an address listed in records as McConnell's longtime Washington, DC residence. An initial, publicly available dispatch call indicated someone at the scene was unconscious. Another call, made several minutes later, showed someone was in "cardiac arrest." When asked by USA TODAY recently to comment on reporting about that audio, McConnell's office neither confirmed nor denied the calls involved the longtime senator. It also shared the same statement it later provided again on July 7.McConnell's Senate colleagues have said little about his condition. Thune initially told reporters on June 15 that he had not spoken to McConnell, before later saying they had talked and McConnell "sounded good."Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, wrote in a July 7 post on X that many of his colleagues "aren’t speaking about Mitch McConnell’s condition because we know nothing about his condition."Mitch McConnell has history of health issuesMcConnell has had a series of health issues in the years prior to his current hospitalization.The Kentucky Republican was most recently hospitalized in February after experiencing flu-like symptoms, a spokesperson said at the time. He was discharged after eight days.In 2023, McConnell also had several health scares including a hospitalization and two incidents where he abruptly froze while speaking.McConnell was hospitalized in March 2023 for a fractured rib and concussion after suffering a fall at a hotel in Washington.At a news conference on July 26, 2023, he stopped speaking and stood silently for nearly 30 seconds before being escorted away from a lectern by his Republican colleagues. About a month later, he froze in a second incident.The 84-year-old is also a childhood polio survivor.How old is Mitch McConnell?Mitch McConnell is 84 years old.Behind Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, and Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vermont, McConnell is currently the third-oldest sitting U.S. senator.He is also the longest-serving senator in Kentucky history, having been elected to the U.S. Senate in 1984. McConnell moved to Kentucky as a teenager after spending his early years in Alabama.Melina Khan is a national trending reporter for USA TODAY. Keep up with her on X @melinakh and Instagram @bymelinakhan.