Mitch McConnell discharged from hospital and transferred to rehab after falling and hitting his head at DC dinner party
- Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell is still recovering from a concussion after falling at the Waldorf Astoria in Washington, DC on March 8
- His medical team found he also had a minor rib fracture
- “The next step will be a period of physiotherapy at an inpatient rehabilitation center before he returns home,” his office said in a statement.
Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell was released from hospital on Monday after being treated for a concussion and will continue to recover at an inpatient rehabilitation center, a spokesman said.
McConnell’s office said his doctors discovered over the weekend that he also suffered a “minor rib fracture” after he tripped and fell at the Waldorf Astoria hotel in Washington on Wednesday night.
“Chief McConnell’s concussion recovery is proceeding well and Chief was discharged from hospital today,” McConnell spokesman David Popp said in a statement. “On the advice of his doctor, the next step will be a period of physiotherapy at an inpatient rehabilitation facility before he returns home.”
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Kentucky) was discharged from George Washington University Hospital after suffering a concussion. He will now enter rehab to continue his recovery
The Senate returns to Washington on Tuesday evening after the weekend and will be in session for the rest of March.
Concussions can be serious injuries and take time to recover. Even a single incident of concussion can limit a person’s abilities during recovery.
In 2019, McConnell tripped and fell at his Kentucky home, suffering a broken shoulder that required surgery. The Senate had just started its summer vacation, and he worked from home for a few weeks while he recovered.
At the start of the COVID-19 crisis, McConnell opened up about her early childhood experience battling polio. He described how his mother insisted he stay on his feet as a toddler and worked with him through a determined regimen of physiotherapy. He acknowledged some difficulty climbing stairs as an adult.
First elected in 1984, McConnell became the longest-serving Senate leader when the new Congress convened in January, breaking the previous record of 16 years.
McConnell is one of many senators who have been absent recently due to illness or hospitalization. Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., 53, who suffered a stroke while campaigning last year, was expected to be out for a few weeks while receiving treatment for clinical depression. And Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., 89, said last week she was hospitalized for treatment for shingles.
