A senior Republican senator has claimed that a photograph released to address questions about Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell's health is not current. Senator Ron Johnson of Wisconsin stated on Monday evening that he had heard from "sources" that the image of McConnell holding a Sunday newspaper was an "older photo."
"I just heard from some, some other source that was an older photo, so I really don’t know," Johnson told host Eric Bolling on Real America’s Voice. Johnson added, "I haven’t talked to Mitch, um, I sincerely wish his family well. I hope he can recover." He also remarked, "Listen—it’s sad to watch people age, no matter who that person is."
McConnell, 84, was hospitalized on June 14 following a medical emergency at his Washington, D.C. home. Initial reports indicated paramedics responded to a call about an unconscious person believed to have suffered cardiac arrest. McConnell's office later stated he had a mild case of pneumonia and had not experienced a stroke or heart attack.
Following weeks of silence regarding his hospitalization and absence from the Senate, McConnell's office released a photograph of him seated in a hospital bed. In the image, he is shown with his wife, former Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao, holding the front section of The Washington Post, a common method to indicate the day a picture was taken.
Johnson and McConnell have served together for over 16 years, and their political relationship has been marked by disagreements, with Johnson often aligning with former President Donald Trump on issues where he diverged from McConnell.
Hours after making the remarks, Johnson appeared to backtrack, posting on X (formerly Twitter) that viewers should "beware of clickbait" and encouraging them to watch the full interview. He reiterated his well wishes for McConnell's recovery.