GOP Sen. Ron Johnson says he’s not sure McConnell photo with Chao is new

Max Rego Tue, July 14, 2026 at 1:10 PM UTC

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Republican Sen. Ron Johnson (Wis.) on Monday cast doubt on the recency of a photo Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) shared of himself in the hospital alongside his wife.

“I’ve just heard from some other sources that was an older photo. So I really don’t know,” Johnson told host Eric Bolling on Real America’s Voice’s “Bolling!”

The Wisconsin Republican noted he has not spoken to McConnell, hopes he can recover and will “come back and vote” in line with President Trump’s agenda.

Later Monday, Johnson backtracked from his remarks to Bolling. The Wisconsin senator wrote on the social platform X, “Beware of clickbait — watch the full clip. Most importantly, I hope @SenMcConnell makes a full recovery and returns to the Senate.”

On Sunday, McConnell provided an update on his condition after weeks of silence in the wake of his hospitalization on June 14. The 84-year-old senator, who is retiring, said he went to the hospital after a fall left him “briefly unconscious.”

“My doctors have confirmed that I didn’t break any bones or suffer a concussion,” McConnell wrote on Facebook. “I didn’t have a heart attack or a stroke. I don’t have any tumors or hemorrhages. But I was briefly unconscious and was taken to the hospital.”

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He added, “While receiving excellent care over the past several weeks, I’ve also had to deal with a mild case of pneumonia.”

McConnell also shared a photo of himself in a hospital bed alongside his wife, former Labor and Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao. In the picture, McConnell is holding a copy of Sunday’s front page of The Washington Post’s sports section.

The update on the Kentucky senator’s health followed public inquiries from Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear (D). It also came less than 24 hours after GOP Sen. Lindsey Graham (S.C.) died at the age of 71; the chief medical examiner of Washington, D.C., has preliminarily ruled his cause of death to be an aortic dissection due to arteriosclerotic cardiovascular disease.

McConnell said Sunday he “won’t be able to return to the Senate floor quite yet” on the advice of his doctors. The former Senate GOP leader, though, said he is “working closely” with his legislative and constituent services staff on the “business that matters” to the people of Kentucky.

“I’ll keep working hard to get back on the Senate floor as soon as possible. And I’ll keep you posted on the progress of my recovery. Until then, I’m so grateful for your prayers and well wishes,” he concluded.

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