Republican U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell overcame polio in his early childhood. His experiences led him to vote against confirmation of Donald Trump’s nomination of vaccine skeptic Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to be his health secretary.
On June 14, 2026, McConnell was hospitalized in Washington, D.C. for an undisclosed condition. Records indicate emergency responders came to McConnell’s Washington residence that morning. McConnell was hospitalized for weeks with very few details provided on his condition. On July 12, McConnell issued a statement, that included a photo with his wife Elaine Chao, saying he was hospitalized as the result of a fall and had developed pneumonia. McConnell said he had moved to a rehabilitation center from the hospital to continue to recover, and “won’t be able to return to the Senate floor to vote quite yet.”