US Senator McConnell says he’s been discharged from rehabilitation centre

United States Senator Mitch McConnell, whose absence from public view has sparked speculation over his fitness to serve, has said he has been discharged from a rehabilitation centre and will continue his recovery from home.

The announcement on Thursday came 10 days after McConnell’s last public statement on his condition and as the Senate was set to adjourn for its August recess. Critics have accused the senator and his staff of not being forthcoming about the status of his health.

McConnell has not been seen in public since June 11, and his continued absence has also narrowed the Republican majority in the chamber as lawmakers faced several consequential votes.

“Earlier today, I was discharged from the rehabilitation center to continue my recovery at home,” McConnell said, adding he and his wife were “grateful” to those who offered support and medical care.

McConnell had previously said he was hospitalised on June 14 after suffering a fall at his home in Washington, DC. His office has since released two photos showing him in the hospital, but has not released any video or audio.

The latest statement did not include any new photos of McConnell or other media.

“On the advice of my doctors, I’ll maintain an intensive regimen of physical therapy from home during the state work period,” he said, referring to the Senate recess, “and I’ll continue to engage with my staff and colleagues on important Senate business”.

The absence of the 84-year-old from legislative business has raised criticism over the advanced age of many elected officials in the US.

It has also sparked conspiracy theories, with online influencer and US President Donald Trump ally Laura Loomer among those claiming McConnell’s true condition was being withheld from the public.

Loomer had initially claimed, without evidence, that McConnell was “brain dead”. She later claimed, again without evidence, that photos released by McConnell’s office during his recovery had been doctored.

There have been competing theories over what would happen in the event of McConnell’s death or sudden resignation.

The senator is not running for re-election and is set to leave office at the end of his term in January. US Representative Andy Barr, a Republican, and former state lawmaker Charles Booker, a Democrat, are set to face off for the seat in the November 3 midterm election.

But under a 2024 state law, in the event of a vacancy, Kentucky’s governor can call a special election. The law further says the governor must give 63 days’ notice, meaning the vote could run up against the midterm election.

Experts have told Al Jazeera that any move to replace McConnell for the remainder of his term would likely face legal challenges, which in turn could result in a prolonged vacancy for his seat.

Republicans currently hold 53 seats in the 100-member Senate, but several lawmakers have shown increasing willingness to break from the party. A vacancy in McConnell’s seat would further shrink Republicans’ margins.

McConnell’s announcement comes weeks after US Senator Lindsey Graham, a top Trump ally, died unexpectedly on July 11.

Graham’s sister, Darline Graham, has since temporarily filled his seat. She has since won the surprise endorsement of Trump ahead of a special primary race on Tuesday, which will determine the Republicans’ Senate candidate for South Carolina.