A story was published earlier Thursday that claimed Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) was going to retire after suffering a major brain injury due to a fall earlier this year.
“Senate GOP leader Mitch McConnell has been out of the public eye for weeks, following a serious fall that hospitalized him. Now multiple sources confirm that Senators John Barrasso of Wyoming, John Cornyn of Texas, and John Thune of South Dakota are actively reaching out to fellow Republican senators in efforts to prepare for an anticipated leadership vote — a vote that would occur upon the announcement that McConnell would be retiring from his duties as leader, and presumably the Senate itself,” The Spectator noted in a report.
“One source says that Cornyn has been particularly active in his preparations, taking fellow senators with whom he has little in common to lunch in attempts to court them. Requests are being targeted at a plethora of conservative senators, including the sixteen who voted to delay the leadership election earlier this year, a proxy for opposition to McConnell’s leadership,” the outlet continued.
“Rick Scott, the Florida senator and former NRSC head who challenged McConnell, ultimately received ten protest votes. These members could prove key to determining the next Republican leader. Queries are also being made internally about the rules regarding replacement, and how the contest would be structured given the lack of an obvious heir apparent,” The Spectator noted further.
But, alas, turns out that’s not true.
According to the Daily Wire, McConnell, 81, plans to return next week.
“I am looking forward to returning to the Senate on Monday,” McConnell said in a tweet on Thursday. “We’ve got important business to tackle and big fights to win for Kentuckians and the American people.”
The outlet added:
McConnell, 81, has been recuperating after his office announced in early March that the senator tripped and fell during a private dinner at a hotel in Washington, D.C.
McConnell suffered a concussion and a minor rib fracture, according to his office. McConnell was discharged from a hospital a couple days later, and on March 26, the senator said he was back home after undergoing physical therapy at an inpatient center.
At the time, McConnell said he would follow advice of his physical therapists and spend “the next few days working for Kentuckians and the Republican Conference from home.”
Like him or not, if McConnell were to retire, it would worsen the current GOP minority because governors fill Senate openings and Kentucky’s current governor, Andy Beshear, is a Democrat.