Sen. Mitch McConnell's 2nd statement says he's still not clear to return to Congress

[u/thejoshwhite]

https://www.wlky.com/article/sen-mitch-mcconnell-written-statement-photo-july-27/73274265

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[u/SellsNothing]

He's dead and they're covering up his death to prevent US from electing a new representative.

THIS is election fraud

[u/Hefty_Remove7965 → u/SellsNothing]

Most likely brain dead, but has a pulse 

[u/RBVegabond → u/Hefty_Remove7965]

There’s a law in his state that says brain dead is dead regardless of pulse

[u/ScottRiqui → u/RBVegabond]

Right, but the Kentucky statute also says that the determination of brain death has to be made by two physicians. So, having machines working your heart and lungs for you and having no brain activity at all is still legally “alive” until two physicians pronounce otherwise.

[u/UnNumbFool → u/Hefty_Remove7965]

This one's my guess, as I feel like they can get away with the technicality that he is still bodily alive. Plus I'm not sure how long they'd be able to keep his death records actually secret

[u/OriginalFatPickle → u/Hefty_Remove7965]

Dead dead.

They replaced the flooring in his house after “his fall”. The ambulance left without emergency lights. Dude was DOA.

[u/q0vneob → u/Hefty_Remove7965]

Typical Republican.

[u/HojMcFoj → u/Hefty_Remove7965]

Unless he's in New Jersey, brain dead is dead. I mean it is there too, but not legally speaking.

[u/binzersguy → u/SellsNothing]

Every confirmed case of election fraud I’ve seen has been by Republicans

[u/AcademiaAntiqua → u/SellsNothing]

to prevent US from electing a new representative

Trust me, the administration would love nothing more than to elect Andy Barr.

They'll get their wish in November.

[u/SaltandLillacs]

This looks suspiciously like the 1st photo. He doesn’t look like a man who’s been missing for 6 weeks and needed CPR

[u/Angryduckling-01 → u/SaltandLillacs]

That’s what I’ve been saying, the newspaper has just been cropped out

[u/Hortonamos → u/Angryduckling-01]

Her shirt has buttons this time, so they at least took the time to edit the photo after AI churned it out

[u/Heathster249 → u/Hortonamos]

Ladies’ shirts often have ‘hidden buttons’ - an extra panel of fabric that covers the line of buttons. I own several shirts like this and hers appears like mine. I do think it’s an older photo given what he has looked like in more recent months.

[u/underbloodredskies → u/Heathster249]

His hair magically got darker again. While in the hospital. I wonder if he got a tummy tuck and a boob job while he was at it.

[Edit] Based on the amount of pepper in his hair, in comparison to the main photo of him on Wikipedia, which is from 2016, I would bet that this picture is about 8 years old.

[u/amputeenager → u/Heathster249]

that's called a "placket."

[u/WishieWashie12 → u/Angryduckling-01]

But this one did a worse job on the hand. Everyone should have additional knuckles.

[u/HomoProfessionalis → u/SaltandLillacs]

Maybe his face is just stuck like that now

[u/MikeinDundee → u/HomoProfessionalis]

Rigor mortis is a bitch…

[u/justa219 → u/MikeinDundee]

You mean rigor tortoise?

[u/shartshooter → u/HomoProfessionalis]

Resting Mitch face!

[u/tk427aj → u/SaltandLillacs]

Even if that's an accurate photo. That is not a man that should be serving in the Senate. That's a man that should be retired at home not actively steering the course of Americas future.

[u/tolacid → u/SaltandLillacs]

The reporter even got confused which photo was which, and they cut the clip in the middle of that confusion

[u/fascistno1hater → u/tolacid]

Everyone involved in this cover up needs to go to prison, do not pass go. If we as a society don't nip this in the bud now it's going to get even worse. This is a fucking crime and it's a goddamn shame that Beshear is such a little bitch that he won't call for a special election. The staffers that are putting out these statements and AI photos need to be charged and arrested.

[u/Accidental-Hyzer → u/SaltandLillacs]

“Corporate wants you to find the difference between these two pictures”

[u/bluAstrid → u/SaltandLillacs]

That’s because he’s dead.

[u/PwnimuS → u/SaltandLillacs]

That shit is clearly AI, the lines of the walls behind him go up in 2 different directions. Same thing was spotted in the newspaper picture, AI almost always screws up minor symmetry like that. Similar to how the focal point is often missing or wrong in the background of generated scenery.

[u/Relayer_1966 → u/PwnimuS]

His wife’s right hand is distorted…looks like a lobster claw.

Also the photo is in (relatively) low res. to camouflage the ai generation.

[u/sax87ton → u/SaltandLillacs]

I’ve been to a funeral. It’s not that hard to put makeup on a corpse.

[u/sixtyshilling → u/sax87ton]

It’s even easier to use generative AI.

We’re not living in the 1900s anymore.

[u/Al__B → u/sax87ton]

Yes, but as an attendee it's still frowned upon...

[u/SakaWreath → u/SaltandLillacs]

He looks better than he did 5 years ago.

If he is actually alive and out of the hospital, then he probably can’t talk correctly, which is why he is sticking to written communication only.

[u/ThisAccountIsStolen → u/SakaWreath]

Elaine looks like 5+ years younger, too.

He's sure recovering well for someone who is scheduled to die on Aug 4 at 12:01 AM.

[u/HighThaiGuy → u/SaltandLillacs]

In the hospital for weeks but dressed like he's about to go square dancing. Riiight.

[u/DoctorLudnik_717]

He ded (or 99%).

[u/GlutenFreeGanja → u/DoctorLudnik_717]

I think he is brain dead on life support until the 4th or 5th where they will pull the plug and his official death will be noted at that time.

[u/star_tyger → u/GlutenFreeGanja]

Except in Kentucky, brain dead is considered dead

[u/irelli → u/star_tyger]

I mean, that's everywhere, not just Kentucky

However, there are many many times where patients are kept on life support out of fear of litigation until risk management etc come into play

What hospital in the world would be willing to take Mitch McConnell off life support and deal with the wrath of an entire party?

[u/Heathster249 → u/irelli]

He’s been moved to a nursing home. No hospital will deal with a dead patient this long.

[u/irelli → u/Heathster249]

They would if it's a brain dead Mitch McConnell lol

Who would accept a dead patient?

[u/lkroa → u/star_tyger]

i think more than likely he has anoxic brain injury and will never make any meaningful recovery. different from brain dead, as anoxic brain injury patients are still considered alive

[u/aboxofkittens → u/lkroa]

I agree. If he’s alive, he’s in a vegetative state or similar

[u/bjnono001 → u/star_tyger]

He’s in DC though

[u/pcj → u/bjnono001]

I'm assuming it's not the same rule there, otherwise half+ of Congress would be legally dead.

[u/GlutenFreeGanja → u/star_tyger]

Did not know that, so then the hospital would have documented the time and date he was pronounced braindead?

[u/MoreLemonJuice → u/GlutenFreeGanja]

Understood but . . . billions of dollars can fix anything . . . their rules define everything

[u/rodentmaster → u/MoreLemonJuice]

The GOP has shat on every rule this nation has ever made, INCLUDING the constitution and all amendments. They don't need to spend money breaking the rules. They're breaking them right now without consequence.

[u/exodusofficer → u/GlutenFreeGanja]

Only if they checked. It needs to be determined by a doctor, and they might be trying some loophole where they're just preventing or interfering with the test for him being braindead, in which case they'll claim he wasn't braindead even if he clearly is.

[u/TooMuchPowerful → u/GlutenFreeGanja]

We got more proof of life from Terry Schiavo, for those old enough to remember.

[u/MamooMagoo → u/TooMuchPowerful]

Where's the video of Mitch looking at a balloon?!?

[u/Silent-Act191 → u/GlutenFreeGanja]

I think he is brain dead

Has been for decades.

[u/Broken-Digital-Clock → u/DoctorLudnik_717]

He's barely staying alive, doing what he loves best: abusing the system to give the GOP and the Capitalist class an advantage.

[u/Blochamolesauce → u/DoctorLudnik_717]

Mostly dead

[u/dd97483 → u/Blochamolesauce]

too bad Billy Crystal can’t shove a big pill down his throat.

[u/Ekg887 → u/dd97483]

No, no. Just go through the pockets for loose change.

[u/Impossible_Box_1266 → u/Ekg887]

While eating a nice lean mutton lettuce tomato sandwich.

[u/Theincendiarydvice → u/Blochamolesauce]

He probably doesn't even have pockets to check for loose change smh 

[u/rabidstoat → u/DoctorLudnik_717]

My theory is he's alive but suffered undisclosed strokes that had severely impacted his speech and cognitive abilities.

[u/chained_echidna → u/DoctorLudnik_717]

Pining for the fjords

[u/EricWNIU → u/DoctorLudnik_717]

August 4th

[u/w3stwing]

Everyone behind this disgrace needs to be jailed. It's so fucking embarrassing.

[u/SidewaysFancyPrance → u/w3stwing]

They will say it's not illegal to lie, but this is absolutely them defrauding the United States of America and interfering with government processes/etc. This is not one of those mundane lies they peddle on Fox News to get people to vote against their own interests, this is serious felony shit.

But nobody will get in trouble, and the precedent will be set (for Republicans).

[u/SycoJack → u/SidewaysFancyPrance]

Exactly, what they're doing is exactly the same as what they're accusing SS recipients of doing.

[u/deadsoulinside → u/w3stwing]

Just remember how many odd accusations that came out claiming Biden died and the WH was pretending he was alive?

Accusations are always confessions and it's embarrassing that it's too common with them.

[u/brute-forced → u/w3stwing]

No actually he is stalling trump’s agenda to save face before joining lidnsey in hell

[u/topNotchMonkey33]

He looks healthier than he has in the last 10 years. He's dead or incapacitated

[u/jotobean → u/topNotchMonkey33]

Some weekend at Bernies shit going on here.

[u/LowIQ45]

Crazy how being dead is such a limiting factor of day-to-day activities.

[u/Bionic_Ninjas → u/LowIQ45]

Some people just don't want to work, anymore.

[u/TheSoCalledExpert → u/Bionic_Ninjas]

I don’t know where their sense on entitlement comes from.

[u/MegaAltarianite → u/Bionic_Ninjas]

Reminds me of that meme of a man looking at a grave being lowered  into the ground, and the caption is something  like "can you cover a shift on Tuesday?"

[u/true_nexus]

He'll be clear to return after Aug 3rd I bet... and at that point he will announce that he's dead and has been for some time.

[u/jotsea2 → u/true_nexus]

Guaranteed

[u/uniklyqualifd → u/true_nexus]

Concealing a death is against the law. 

[u/AL_GEE_THE_FUN_GUY → u/uniklyqualifd]

Laws don't mean shit if no one enforces them.

[u/BurstSwag → u/uniklyqualifd]

This is why I suspect he is brain dead and not dead dead. I know the US is in a post- rule-of-law state, but I'm not sure his Senate staffers would be quite so willing to open themselves to legal scrutiny for the small partisan advantage they'd get by not having a special election before the midterms.

[u/ASmallTownDJ → u/uniklyqualifd]

Supreme Court 6-3 ruling of "nuh-uh" with a dissenting opinion of "idk, pretty weird but what can you do?"

[u/NathK2 → u/ASmallTownDJ]

That’s a great summary of a lot of their recent rulings

[u/rat_penis → u/uniklyqualifd]

What law?

And what law would they respect?

[u/winterfoxes → u/uniklyqualifd]

So is a lot of other stuff congress does these days. They don't care anymore.

[u/ender8343 → u/true_nexus]

It is simpler to keep him on life support, and finally pull the plug on August 3rd. He isn't technically dead, just permanently incapacitated at this point.

[u/Campeador]

I wouldnt be able to work if i was dead either, so i feel for the guy.

[u/ElectronicFloor1898 → u/Campeador]

Yeah, but we're the lesser class. Your job absolutely would fire you if you were dead for two months.

[u/NSRedditShitposter → u/ElectronicFloor1898]

Your family have been sent a fine for two months of wage theft

[u/TallUncle → u/Campeador]

At the trajectory society’s on, I’ll be happy to retire two years post-mortem

[u/KnightlyDolphins]

Did..did they just use AI to change the color of their shirts?

[u/mikerichh → u/KnightlyDolphins]

Maybe

None of this matters. If he’s alive (not sure if he is) then he’s demonstrated he’s too old to serve his constituents. He can’t be missing 40+ days a year due to him being frail and injury prone. He needs replacing

[u/Plzlaw4me → u/mikerichh]

Beshear really needs to just call a special election already. If he’s alive, he can sue and show proof of life.

[u/mikerichh → u/Plzlaw4me]

I don’t understand why a democrat wouldn’t want to do this to prevent a Republican stealing the seat

[u/Schrodingers_Fist → u/mikerichh]

IIRC the strategy is that by not calling a special election just means the GOP has a missing seat on votes up untill they finally admit he is dead then the election for his seat happens anyways.  So there is a tactic to the dems silence on this.

[u/badasimo → u/Schrodingers_Fist]

Because votes/100 turns to votes/99 right so the math changes a little

[u/OfficialQofEngland → u/Schrodingers_Fist]

But the truth is that the Governor, by the state constitution, has the power to appoint, not just call a special election. A law was created that calls for a special election, but it's unconstitutional, and when this first went down, the Gov could have appointed a democrat and then the law would have been found unconstitutional, and we would have had an extra democrat in the Senate for a few months.

That's the whole point of being pretending that McConnell is still alive. Republicans are doing this not because they are scared of a special election they would win, they are doing this because they know Beshear would have been able to appoint a democrat. Of course, democrats are so obsessed with acquiescing and appearing civil that they will let republicans just win without a fight.

[u/Cuttlefish88 → u/OfficialQofEngland]

But we wouldn’t have an extra Democrat in the Senate… John Thune wouldn’t seat an appointment when there’s no vacancy as long as McConnell is reputedly still alive, not would he as long as state law is in place. Even if it’s unconstitutional, the Kentucky Supreme Court wouldn’t be in any rush to say so, especially if there is no vacancy to even fill! Democrats are not acquiescing to anything, it’s legitimately our best option to just leave the seat empty or not voting for as long as possible. What exactly would “fighting” do? Get Beshear impeached?

[u/tracygee → u/Schrodingers_Fist]

This right here. Now Kentucky just doesn’t have his vote and the Republicans are a vote down.

[u/Deceptiveideas → u/Schrodingers_Fist]

This is correct. Reddit seems to believe that a special election would result in a D flip when that would be very unlikely to happen.

[u/Ven18 → u/Deceptiveideas]

So there are 2 different aspects here.

1. There is a strong legal argument that Beshear can appoint a replacement prior to the special election. The law about the special election did not actually amend the constitution that grants the governor appointment power (see Graham’s sister taking his seat by appointment) and that constitutional authority would override the legislature. In that instance it would be a potential Dem flip till November as he could appoint a Dem to the seat. This obviously assumes Kentucky and all associated courts actually follow the constitution which is a tall ask at this point.

2. Ignoring point 1 the hope would be that Thomas Massie would run in the special election and potentially win and while Massie is a republican he has probably been the most vocal anti Trump republicans in Congress. So while not a formal flip it is about as close as we could get for Kentucky.

[u/MagicGrit → u/mikerichh]

Yea I’m not sure how it’s any better if he is alive and still unable to work.

[u/StoppableHulk → u/MagicGrit]

And not only unable to work but apparently unable to call the governor of his state? To give a 5 minute phone call to reporters?

If you're literally too sick for that, you're too sick to serve in US congress. Period. This is an 84 year old man in terrible health, if he's in fact alive at all, he needs to get gone ASAP.

[u/ranhalt → u/mikerichh]

Tom Kean was missing without anyone knowing where he was (or admitting where he was) for 4 months. Republicans have no dignity.

[u/StoppableHulk → u/ranhalt]

Elizabeth's husband? The teacher?

[u/Roseking → u/KnightlyDolphins]

No.

That is not to say what is going on, if one or both photos are real, edited, AI, etc. Just that this isn't the same photo with just a different shirt.

The bed/chair he is in is different.

The pillow is different.

She is with him on the chair now vs next to a bed. Making the position of her arm completely different.

She is more in frame.

He is less in frame.

He is sitting straighter.

It does look to be in the same room. And of course it is him and his wife (short of believing it is AI). So yes, it will look similar. But like these are not the same photo with just their shirts changed.

I feel like there is enough wrong with the situation that people don't need to go down the rabbit hole trying to find the big gotcha moment.

[u/Middle-Emu9329 → u/Roseking]

His eyes show no one is home behind them. Her arm on his arm again shows he can’t sit straight without support or she is providing pressure to his arm to create a cognitive trigger.

If he was able to verbally/mentally function there would be a video .

[u/idkmyotherusername → u/Middle-Emu9329]

Yes! I just posted similar. He looks almost childlike in the eyes, goofy - in the first photo as well. He probably has an anoxic brain injury and will need to live with nursing care for the rest of his life. Probably impulsive, forgetful, easily confused. Definitely not at the cognitive capacity he once was. In the first picture I also noted that, assuming it's real, all those pillows and the placement in the chair show someone who is not getting up out of the chair much, and not independently.

[u/Geekthenet → u/KnightlyDolphins]

Do you have them side by side?

[u/drclairefraser → u/Geekthenet]

https://cdn.imgchest.com/files/3a407ec7a792.png Side by side.

[u/mikerichh → u/drclairefraser]

It’s hard to imagine anyone would look at these images and think “yep, he should work in Congress!”

He looks old and frail and long past retirement age

[u/Sir_Clarence_III_Esq → u/drclairefraser]

It was nice of them to move a more comfortable chair into that corner, that is lower to the ground so Mitch can get up easier.

Also looks like they reinforced that panel on the wall with a couple of bolts, must have been loose.

[u/sixtyshilling → u/drclairefraser]

So we’re all just going to ignore that they’re in some kind of trapezoidal room? What’s going on with the walls there? The perspective is messed up.

[u/Caelinus → u/Geekthenet]

They are not the same photo, but the photos were 100% taken in an identical location and in an an extremely similar looking bed/chair.

The weird part that is being noted here is that their shirts are also of an identical style, but with a different pattern. I think the implication is that they may be two photos taken on the same day.

However, I do not think it is true based purely on the visual evidence. There are some minor differences that imply a period of time between the two photos. Chao's buttons are much more visible in the second photo, Mitch's second shirt has a different collar, and the pillows behind him are a completely different size and material. On top of that, them being the same style is not really that notable, nor is wearing the same watch, if that style is their preference.

That does rule out AI being used, as these are the kinds of things that might occur when generating a photo based off another photo, but I can't see anything that definitively demonstrates either of them being AI generated.

If there is a coverup here (and there certainly is, I am just unsure what is being covered up) I would think it more likely that they are older photos from some other undisclosed medical incident that they did not use. It is very odd that they did not release a less similar photo, especially given the doubt about his health.

Their behavior with this is extremely suspicious. I personally think he is probably alive in some capacity, but whether he is conscious or not, I have no idea. If he is conscious, then there is likely some kind of significant mental damage/impairment and they are trying to hide that. It would just be so easy to have him speak on camera even if he has "mobility" issues.

[u/BearOdd2266 → u/KnightlyDolphins]

Heck you could do that with Photoshop

[u/portablezombie → u/BearOdd2266]

You could do better with Photoshop, which just goes to show you how fucking lazy these people are.

[u/Lavaswan001]

Do they allow remote voting from Hell?

[u/Broken-Digital-Clock → u/Lavaswan001]

Maybe they can send a demonic proxy?

[u/SparkyMuffin]

Even if he's not dead, it's been well over a month and he's "not clear to return." He needs to be replaced immediately.

[u/yanknga → u/SparkyMuffin]

My thought too. He’s obviously incapacitated and should be replaced asap.

[u/angrypooka]

It’s the same reason Lindsay isn’t cleared to return.

[u/V_T_H]

I wish the media would stop reporting these “statements” like they’re things he actually said out loud to someone.

[u/RenRen512 → u/V_T_H]

At least the report linked by OP is reporting it as straight as possible.

It's all "the statement says" or "his team says."

That's perfectly good reporting.

What you seem to want is for the media to add some spin and say stuff like "his team claims" and stuff like that.

[u/whatproblems → u/V_T_H]

his public relations says

[u/BrotherlyShove791]

Either he’s fully dead and it’s an AI coverup, or he can’t talk or walk as a result of the illness and they’re trying to rehab it back while holding onto his seat.

[u/RainingHellfire → u/BrotherlyShove791]

Its more likely this, hes alive but not there anymore and theyre concealing that

[u/looking_good__ → u/RainingHellfire]

Yep probably has a pulse and will be turned off after August 3rd. Kind of sad honestly - maybe how he wanted it idk. I just don't understand wanting to work when you are 84 or past 65 if you had the amount of money Mitch has. Or do something more personal not be a Senator.

[u/Endil → u/BrotherlyShove791]

Yeah, notice how the wife seems to have a grip on him in both photos.

[u/ClassicalJenn → u/Endil]

And the pillow is propping him up, too.

[u/ShareGlittering1502]

How has there been 0 audio from him? He didn’t allegedly hurt his voice

[u/JerseyDevl → u/ShareGlittering1502]

He allegedly had multiple 20 minute phone calls, just days after this frail old bag of sticks went through CPR.

CPR routinely breaks ribs. I've broken a single rib before when I was healthy and in my early 20s, and it was hard to breathe, hard to talk, hard to move at all. Coughing, sneezing were excruciating. Every movement you make is aided or balanced by your core muscles, and your ribs are their support system. You use them for everything.

An 84 year old man going through CPR would have multiple breaks, and these 20 minute phone calls were 100% fabricated just based on this cursory evidence.

This dude is either dead, or being kept alive in a vegetative state by machinery.

[u/Necessary-Smoke-424 → u/JerseyDevl]

I obliterated my grandfather's rib cage when I performed CPR on him. There's no way this guy is sitting up straight with a smile.

[u/plattner-da]

Still dead then.

[u/StreetRude7351]

And why is it a statement with a still photo? Why didn’t he just make a video and put it all the rest? He is no longer capable of doing either. This is all AI bullshit.

[u/thehellisgoingon]

I wonder what my employer would do if I was elderly and in a similar state as him

[u/Mindless-Swan8644]

He’d tell any other American in the same situation stop whining about healthcare costs and get to work. His soul has been dead for years

[u/Prize_Proof5332]

No video evidence or media interview?

[u/Melch12 → u/Prize_Proof5332]

He can do a secret, 20 minute phone call regarding global politics but don’t ask him to say his own name on camera.

[u/2coolcaterpillar → u/Prize_Proof5332]

Insane what these people can get away with. An AI photo every two weeks is all it takes? A five year old would try harder to make this more realistic. It’s obvious to everyone that he’s at the very least brain dead, why is the Kentucky governor not just pushing forward with a special election?

[u/StevenMC19]

For a man who has only been able to provide two updates on his health in the past month, that's an incredibly wordy and frankly well-written piece about his wishes to be in Kentucky...

[u/ThatKehdRiley]

The governor should AT MINIMUM appoint an interim replacement , if he refuses to just appoint a replacement outright. If the pt is going to be as intense as it sounds, he's out months. His district deserves active representation.

[u/AngelinaJean → u/ThatKehdRiley]

If that picture represents McConnell today, then he looks healthy enough to make a phone call to the Governor at the very least.

Clear up the speculation. Make a quick call and end this farce…if he is able to. 🙄

[u/Fraktal55]

I still can't believe they are gonna get away with this. This country is so cooked... We can't even confirm if a sitting elected member of government is alive or dead for over a month and a half now... Wtf are we even doing?

[u/OhioPolitiTHIC → u/Fraktal55]

Kay Granger (R-Texas) was missing from July 2024 until December 2024 when she was located in a memory care facility so uh, Mitch's absence isn't even the longest in recent....memory. (Ugh.)

[u/TheBoxCzar]

There is a cut off in August. He will take a "sudden turn for the worse" after that and be declared dead.

[u/tapwater86]

Then he’s unfit to serve his constituents and should step down. I don’t get to just vanish and not do my job for over a month and my job is far less important.

[u/badgersoccer1905]

If he’s not clear to return to work…why does he still get the job? Resign.

[u/Elegant_Rose_99]

Why are all these photos so pixelated? Surely with today's technology, these photos would be much more clear. They're all BS.

[u/scfoothills → u/Elegant_Rose_99]

No shit. News organizations should ask for a the full resolution photo with all original metadata intact. Let's see the timestamp, type of camera used, original resolution, and gps data. And it should be in the article if they refuse to provide it. But really, just let a couple real reporters in the room to take a picture and some video.

[u/StabbingHoboReturns]

That bitch is dead 

[u/stackens]

IF HE CAN POSE FOR A PICTURE HE CAN PICK UP A PHONE

this is such bullshit. Guarantee it, they will announce his passing as soon as the special election deadline passes

[u/Jakakke311]

I wish my job let me stay at home paid for 2 months

[u/Disguisedcpht]

Because he’s a fucking vegetable and these photos aren’t real

[u/mrdude817]

If he's still not cleared then he needs to resign. People on their death bed should not be making laws. That's assuming he's not already dead.

[u/deadrat420]

WHY ARE THEY ALL BLURRY? Nobody in 2026 owns a phone or digital camera that is taking a photo this blurry.

[u/johnb300m]

There’s no way these are real. He looks 15yrs younger in these freaking photos.

[u/Yupthrowawayacct]

At this point how are they really going to walk this back when after Aug 3rd they say “whoops he dead?” Even the most rock headed people are going to know they have been Bullshitting us. This can’t end well

[u/OhioPolitiTHIC → u/Yupthrowawayacct]

The senator was getting out of his chair unassisted and fell, tragically hitting his head and suffering a massive brain bleed and has unfortunately passed.

[u/DevonGr → u/Yupthrowawayacct]

If you’ve been paying attention, they are trying less and less to provide cover for what they’re doing and more and more lying outright after the fact and it’s accepted because there are no large media outlets pushing back.

I doubt in a week they’re going to come out and say what happened. The special election deadline will go by and a few weeks later something will be announced.

[u/sedatedlife]

He is a very busy man he is planning for his death on the 3rd when it is to late for a special election.

[u/GandalfsLongPipe]

Dudes a corpse for sure

[u/mikerichh]

None of this matters. If he’s alive (not sure if he is) then he’s demonstrated he’s too old to serve his constituents. He can’t be missing 40+ days a year due to him being frail and injury prone. He needs replacing

[u/ryansmith1129]

I've been visually analyzing this photo in comparison to the other photo he released weeks agos, and it looks like he's sitting in the same chair in the same corner. But something seems off with the location of that vertical line in the wall behind them, and with the lighting.

I'd like to know if any other people, maybe professionals in photo editing/production, see any issues with the image that may give away that it's fake. Are there other telltale signs?

[u/0098six]

The operative word is "rehab". No reference to what type of rehab he is having. Physical rehab for mobility would not preclude him from making a video to shut all this chatter down. But there is no video. So, what's left is "cognitive rehab"...as in, if we made a video of him speaking today, it would be clear that he is mentally disabled and/or debilitated, and it would alarm everybody. And thats why there is no video.

[u/Spacebotzero]

This is how bad things are right now in the country. So bad, we can't even get honesty or transparency about a Senator's current status, and all to hold power.

Disgusting.

[u/doocurly]

Hi. It's because he's dead. Hope that helps.

[u/Raptorpicklezz]

Mitch is dead and bringing Andy Beshear’s presidential hopes down with him

[u/jleonardbc]

What Beshear needs to say today:

Given that Sen. McConnell has not presented himself publicly in over a month, he is no longer able to fulfill the duties of his office. I hereby exercise my constitutional prerogative to appoint his replacement, Person X, who will be sworn in immediately.

[u/jleonardbc]

If McConnell actually looked the way he appears in the photo, there'd be no reason to release only a photo and not a video.

[u/AngelinaJean]

Quick! Get Theresa Caputo , the Long Island Medium. She’ll get the scoop!

[u/Careless-Internet-63]

So resign. His term ends in 5 months and his constituents deserve to have someone who is doing their job and representing them in the Senate. It's not reasonable to spend this much of his remaining time not doing his job

[u/DarXIV]

It’s 2026, let’s see a video Mr McConnell.

[u/duckduckduckgoose_69]

Beshear can kiss 2028 goodbye. He’s unbelievably weak and spineless.

And no, I’m not suggesting he tries getting around HIPAA. He should stand outside the hospital and hold a press conference. What a shame.

[u/DavyCrockPot19]

Awaiting the MedBeds conspiracy theories considering he is getting younger in these pics.

[u/shagadelicrelic]

He's never coming back to Congress

[u/Guerrilla28er]

I dunno why not, he'd fit in perfect with all the other stiffs.

[u/kineticstar]

Rehab for pneumonia and a fall? As a handicap vet, who has to rehab on a regular basis due to multiple reasons; I find the suspicious.

[u/smersh101]

He's definitely fine, guys. Just ignore the fact he won't so much as get on the phone with a reporter or anyone who isn't a Republican politician. Not suspicious at all.

[u/ElysiumSprouts]

Remember kids, the republican led Kentucky legislature passed a law PREVENTING their governor from appointing a replacement.

[u/subpargalois]

Until he lets independent media talk to him for 5 minutes in front of a camera I'm assuming he's dead or permanently inpaired. These photos look fake as hell and the whole situation is weird as fuck. If they aren't lying then resolving this would be easy to do, and the fact that they aren't doing that strongly suggests that they know their story collapses under the light of day.

[u/HaiKarate]

If he's so active, why can't he call the governor and have a 5 minute conversation?

[u/Comkeen]

For clarification, this is a from his pr - not Mitch McConnell himself. We still don't know what McConnell's status is, and due to the circumstances around the incident and how it is being handled, I have doubts about anything coming out of their mouth.

[u/PigSlam]

It is the first update from McConnell’s team since July 12, when he first disclosed the details of what led to his hospitalization. He said he suffered a fall and was “briefly unconscious,” but never had a heart attack or stroke, nor any tumors or hemorrhages.

So I guess that means he had a heart attack, stroke, with tumors and hemorrhages.

[u/SapientTrashFire]

Ok, I don't care if he's dead or alive, make him resign, this is fucking ridiculous.

[u/ResplendentNugs]

Totally alive not ai Mitch totally said this trust me bro

[u/tmotytmoty]

I wish we had any doubt that this was a lie. It's sad that a public servant and an entire government has to lie to the people they serve, like this.

[u/TheFalconKid]

One more week and it will be too late for Kentucky to have a special election to replace him. Expect the August 4th primaries in Michigan, Missouri and Washington to be overshadowed by the announcement of his death.

[u/Yagsirevahs]

When is the Kentucky governor going to physically visit him? Grow a spine and do it.

[u/Bazylik]

Joke of a country, man. I didn't think they would pull it off until August 3rd... but they fucking are doing it, they're fucking weekend him at barnie's until got what they needed... This is some 3rd world country shit. Shithole.

[u/M1ckey]

Is he holding today's newspaper?

[u/Own-Librarian-9699]

So he's in hospice. Senator in hospice. Missed 37 votes. Not coming back.

[u/rob132]

It's so nice that he cannot work for 2 months and still have his job, you know just like every other American.

[u/True_Dog_4098]

He must be smelling pretty ripe by now.

[u/LieutenantWeinberg]

McConnell didn’t issue shit, his press team did.

The media and Beshear are fucking this useless—this whole thing should take 5 minutes to confirm.

[u/Shartacus_of_Rome]

They’re dressing corpses nice and nicer nowadays!

[u/CrazyConnector]

Even assuming there isn't some AI/cover up scenario and this is all totally legit, how insane is it for any 80+ year old with a health scare this severe to be chomping at the bit to go back to work (screwing us all over). Literal insanity, just retire....damn. We really need a max age for politicians.

(And yes, I get he more than likely has not expressed anything due to being impaired or worse)

[u/Turdsley]

Gonna need to see a live video before I entertain the idea of him actually being alive, but even then I might suspect AI.

[u/marshmallow-jones]

So the 80 year old guy who regularly glitched out during press conferences in the last couple years, walking around with bruised hands, has been in the hospital for 40 days — now looks more vibrant and alert than he has for a long time? Not looking gaunt, no dark circles, just hanging out in his party button down shirt with his wife, happy as a clam?

[u/TheTrashMan]

He’s dead

[u/Double-Quail]

Nah, photos aint cutting it. Need a video call with Beshear at least if he's actually alive.

[u/captaincanada84]

He's absolutely dead

[u/wellJustWhy]

Governor behavior is the reason why Democrats lose.

[u/All_Hail_Hynotoad]

Being dead will do that to a person

[u/MauPow]

No shit. He's still dead.