On the record · Updated October 1, 2026
U.S. senator
20 things Mitch McConnell said, verbatim, from June 7, 2026 to August 10, 2026, each linked to where it ran. Grouped by the story each one belongs to.
More on the record
As printed
“Anyone performing this role of such immense public trust must have the extensive national security experience required by statute, and no nominee who falls short of this requirement will earn my vote,”
Latest Political News on Fox News Trump moves to slash intelligence office ahead of permanent chief's arrival ›
As printed
“with great hope for the endurance of the Senate as an institution. There are any number of reasons for pessimism, but the strength of the Senate is not one of them.”
on hope for the Senate's endurance after being hospitalized and receiving care
CNN McConnell hospitalized and ‘receiving excellent care,’ spokesperson says ›
As printed
“So the nation’s top law enforcement official is asking for a slush fund to pay people who assault cops? Utterly stupid, morally wrong — Take your pick,”
on a proposed fund to pay people who assaulted police officers
Politics | The Atlantic Trump Might Already Be a Lame Duck ›
As printed
“had no fractures, cardiac abnormalities, stroke, tumor, or hemorrhage.”
As printed
“His bout with childhood polio continues to be a significant factor in his mobility,”
As printed
“still working hard to get back to my full schedule of work in the Senate and in Kentucky, keeping up with intense physical therapy per my doctors’ orders.”
As printed
“His bout with childhood polio continues to be a significant factor in his mobility. He is not yet medically cleared to leave the rehab facility and return to the office,”
As printed
“Regardless of the political storms that may wash over this chamber, during the time I have remaining, I assure our colleagues I will depart with great hope for the endurance of the Senate as an institution.”
The Christian Post Mitch McConnell recovering at home, not ‘medically cleared’ to return to Senate ›
As printed
“I didn’t have a heart attack or a stroke. I don’t have any tumors or hemorrhages.”
on false reports that McConnell had died
Fox News Kentucky governor says he received 2 calls from agencies indicating McConnell had 'passed' ›
As printed
“My doctors have confirmed that I didn’t break any bones or suffer a concussion,”
on false reports that McConnell had died
Fox News Kentucky governor says he received 2 calls from agencies indicating McConnell had 'passed' ›
As printed
“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,”
As printed
“My doctors have confirmed that I didn't break any bones or suffer a concussion. I didn't have a heart attack or a stroke. I don't have any tumors or hemorrhages,”
As printed
“You all know how folks of my generation often hesitate to share the vulnerability that comes with growing older. Even in the public eye, I feel that same instinct — I can’t help it,”
As printed
“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.”
on McConnell's hospitalization and treatment for pneumonia
Breitbart News Sen. Ron Johnson Casts Doubt on Photo of Mitch McConnell in Hospital: Heard from a Source It 'Was an Older Photo' ›
As printed
“You’re right to expect your representatives to work hard for you. And part of my decision to retire at the end of my term this coming January was being honest about the demands of Senate work,”
As printed
“But at the same time, I’ve had more than my share of experience with physical vulnerabilities. Surviving childhood polio meant spending my entire life with mobility challenges. They haven’t exactly gotten easier to manage with age. And last month, I took a fall which landed me in the hospital.”
on McConnell addressing questions about his fitness for office after Graham's death
Advocate.com Mitch McConnell’s staffers offer peculiar proof of life after Lindsey Graham’s death ›
As printed
“folks of my generation often hesitate to share the vulnerability that comes with growing older”
on generational reluctance to share aging and health vulnerability
PBS News Hour - Politics McConnell says a fall led to his hospitalization, breaking weeks of silence about health condition ›
As printed
“I still have unfinished business to complete on your behalf”
PBS News Hour - Politics McConnell says a fall led to his hospitalization, breaking weeks of silence about health condition ›
As printed
“I’ve submitted to every test they can think of to help figure out what caused this incident”
US politics | The Guardian Mitch McConnell reveals fall led to hospitalization after weeks of silence ›
As printed
“My doctors have confirmed that I didn’t break any bones or suffer a concussion. 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,”
on the medical tests confirming what did not cause his hospitalization after a fall
US politics | The Guardian Mitch McConnell reveals fall led to hospitalization after weeks of silence ›
Further reading
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In their own words
Mitch McConnell · 2016
McConnell recounts his rise from a Kentucky childhood and polio to Senate Republican leader, and explains his approach to legislative strategy.
Biography
Alec MacGillis · 2014
Reporter Alec MacGillis traces McConnell's career from Louisville local politics to Senate leadership and examines how he built and used his power.
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