Sen. Ron Johnson said he had heard from an unidentified source that a hospital image released by Mitch McConnell may have been older, while emphasizing that he did not know whether the claim was accurate and wished the Kentucky senator a full recovery.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., raised questions Monday about whether a hospital photograph released by Sen. Mitch McConnell was recent, saying he had heard from another source that the image showing McConnell with his wife, Elaine Chao, may have been taken earlier.
Johnson made the remarks during an interview on Real America’s Voice after host Eric Bolling questioned the authenticity and timing of the photograph.
McConnell, R-Ky., has reportedly been hospitalized since June 14. Johnson said he had not personally spoken with the longtime senator and could not verify what he had heard about the picture.
“Now, Mitch McConnell. Can we talk a little Mitch McConnell too? Because I saw a picture that I’m not sure I believe is actually Mitch McConnell from the hospital,” Bolling said. “After what I’ve heard and what I’ve seen, do you believe Mitch McConnell is the one who said, ‘I’m okay, here’s a picture of my wife, Elaine Chao and I’ in that hospital bed?”
“I just heard from some other source, that was an older photo,” Johnson responded. “So, I really don’t know. I haven’t talked to Mitch. I certainly wish he and his family well, I hope he can recover. Listen, it’s sad to watch people age, no matter who that person is.”
Johnson later sought to place his comments in context, cautioning social media users against reacting to abbreviated accounts of the exchange.
In a subsequent statement, he urged people to “beware of clickbait” and listen to the complete interview, according to The Hill.
“Most importantly, I hope @SenMcConnell makes a full recovery and returns to the Senate,” Johnson added.
McConnell had previously released the hospital photograph and a written statement addressing his prolonged absence from the Senate and providing details about his condition.
The image showed McConnell in a hospital bed alongside Chao, a former U.S. transportation secretary.
In the accompanying statement, McConnell said he and Chao appreciated the messages of support they had received, as well as the public’s questions about why he had remained away from Capitol Hill.
“To my fellow Kentuckians, when you elected me to a seventh term and made me our Commonwealth’s longest serving Senator, you did so trusting that I’d keep showing up to fight for you every day,” McConnell said. “And over the past several weeks, Elaine and I have appreciated both your well wishes and your honest questions about what was keeping me away from the Senate.”
McConnell said doctors determined that he had not sustained broken bones or a concussion and had not suffered several other serious medical conditions.
“I didn’t have a heart attack or a stroke,” McConnell said. “I don’t have any tumors or hemorrhages. But I was briefly unconscious and was taken to the hospital. While receiving excellent care over the past several weeks, I’ve also had to deal with a mild case of pneumonia.”
The statement did not provide additional information about what caused McConnell to lose consciousness or establish a date for his return to Senate duties.
The release followed claims by conservative activist Laura Loomer and journalist Desiree Townsend that McConnell was “brain dead.” Those assertions were attributed to unnamed sources, and no evidence substantiating them was included in the information provided.
Johnson did not endorse those claims. His comments were limited to saying that he had heard the hospital photograph may have been older, while repeatedly acknowledging that he lacked direct information about McConnell’s condition or the image’s origin.
The Wisconsin senator’s later warning about “clickbait” underscored that uncertainty and his stated concern for McConnell and his family.
McConnell’s own account described a period of hospitalization following a brief loss of consciousness, followed by treatment for mild pneumonia. He said medical examinations had ruled out a heart attack, stroke, concussion, broken bones, tumors and hemorrhages.
The questions surrounding the photograph remain unresolved in the information provided. Johnson did not identify the source who allegedly characterized it as older, and McConnell’s statement did not address when the image was taken.
Despite raising the issue during the interview, Johnson ultimately emphasized that he hoped McConnell would recover and return to the Senate.
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