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Kentucky Republican Sen. Mitch McConnell checked himself into a hospital Monday night after experiencing what aides described as “flu-like symptoms,” according to a statement released Tuesday.
“In abundance of caution, after experiencing flu-like symptoms over the weekend, Senator McConnell checked himself into a local hospital for evaluation last night,” spokesman David Popp said in a statement to NBC News. “He is grateful for the excellent care he is receiving. He is in regular contact with his staff and looks forward to returning to Senate business.”
The 83-year-old senator, who announced last year he would not seek an eighth term, missed votes on both Monday and Tuesday as a result. He had been present in the chamber on Friday, when he voted on funding measures to keep the federal government open and delivered a speech on the Senate floor.
McConnell has faced several health challenges in recent years. In 2023, he was hospitalized following a fall that sidelined him for about a month. Later that year, he had two highly publicized moments when he froze while speaking at press conferences. In 2025, he also suffered another fall outside the Senate chamber and temporarily used a wheelchair.
As a child, McConnell survived polio, a detail he has referenced in the past when discussing his resilience and long public career.
The Kentucky Republican is the longest-serving Senate leader in U.S. history and currently serves as chairman of the Senate Rules Committee. He stepped down as leader of the Republican conference in November 2024.
He announced plans to retire after his current term in February 2025, RSBN previously reported.
“Seven times my fellow Kentuckians have sent me to the Senate,” McConnell noted while speaking in the upper chamber.
He continued, “Representing our Commonwealth has been the honor of a lifetime. I will not seek this honor an eighth time. My current term in the Senate will be my last.”
