Mitch McConnell, a Republican senator from Kentucky since 1985, has been one of the most influential figures in American politics in recent decades. He led the Republicans in the Upper Chamber between 2007 and 2025, heading the minority (2007-2015 and 2021-2025) and the majority (2015-2021). He is not particularly charismatic, nor a brilliant speaker, but he garnered perpetual support from his voters and professionalized tactical discipline in the Capitol corridors. Among his great achievements will remain the permanent opposition to Obama, the blocking of the nomination of the progressive Merrick Garland to the Supreme Court in 2016, and his decisive role in the confirmation of three conservative judges during Donald Trump's presidency, and above all, how he prevented Congress from moving forward with the impeachment against Trump after the Capitol assault.
McConnell, 84, announced months ago that he was retiring and would not seek reelection in November. He was older, tired, and deeply affected by Trump's devastating attacks, for whom any effort seemed insufficient. McConnell endured years of insults, humiliations, and barely flinched. He deviated from the party line on rare occasions, published slightly vindicating memoirs, and not much more.
In recent weeks, the senator, who will remain in office until the end of the year, has been in the news, but not for political reasons, but for his disappearance. No one was very clear on where he had been, what had happened to him, and even rumors of his possible brain death circulated, forcing his family and team to publish photos with the day's newspaper as proof of life. Movements that only fueled more conspiracies.
His office only confirmed that the politician was hospitalized on June 14 after emergency services found him unconscious at his residence in Washington. His spokesperson reported that he was receiving "excellent medical care," without explaining the reason for the hospitalization. After weeks of silence, McConnell himself announced last week that he had been discharged from the hospital and continues to handle Senate matters from his home, but little else.
In most countries, the disappearance of one of the 100 senators, especially someone with that pedigree, for a month and a half, failing to attend Congress, not voting, would be noteworthy news. In the United States, however, it is something that happens with striking frequency and above all, with strange normality. Especially when, as is happening now, majorities are slim, and every vote can be decisive.
There are 538 elected officials between the two chambers, and it is almost impossible to keep track of them all. A few months ago, the Californian media outlet TMZ, specializing in gossip and scandals, landed in Washington to start covering political news, and images of their new reporters studying dossiers with the photo and biography of all congressmen became the talk of the internet. But it reflects well the complexity of monitoring. Many media outlets have journalists permanently stationed in the Capitol, but if a lesser-known congressman stops appearing, it is difficult to notice.
That is exactly what happened for almost four months, from early March to late June, with another Republican, Tom Kean Jr. During that time, his office only reported that he was experiencing a "personal medical issue" and stated that he expected a full recovery, without providing further details. His prolonged absence garnered significant media attention because he represents a highly competitive district in New Jersey, and the Republicans, who have a very narrow majority in the House, have lost some critical votes for the White House.
On June 30, Kean reappeared in the chamber and explained for the first time that he had been hospitalized and treated for depression. In his speech, the politician who had consistently voted against expanding workers' medical leave permits in the past acknowledged that the illness had turned out to be much more severe than he had expected. "Depression is physical, it is emotional, and until you experience it, it is difficult to understand how powerful it can be."
His case reignited the debate on transparency. While many legislators from both parties expressed support for his open discussion of mental health, others questioned how a member of Congress could remain absent for over 100 days without the electorate knowing the true reason, or without any mechanism to temporarily substitute their vote.
In 2023, Senator Dianne Feinstein, a 90-year-old Democrat who had been in the Upper Chamber since 1992, was absent for several months due to what appeared to be shingles with some subsequent complications. Her absence had significant political consequences. The Democrats had a very narrow majority in the Senate, and Feinstein was a member of the Judiciary Committee, responsible for processing federal judge nominations proposed by President Joe Biden. Unable to attend the votes, the committee was practically blocked from approving new appointments, leading even some members of her own party to call for her temporary resignation from that position or to leave the Senate.
In May, she returned to Washington in a wheelchair, and her office acknowledged that the medical complications had been much more serious than initially reported. The shingles had caused brain inflammation and Ramsay Hunt syndrome, a neurological condition. In her appearances, she appeared erratic, even stating that she had never been absent and showing serious cognitive problems. She passed away at the end of the year.
In the last three years, two senators (one of them, Lindsey Graham, last month) and a dozen congressmen have died while in office. The average age of the House of Representatives is 58, while for senators, it is 64. There are 24 who are over 80, with some nearing 90. The Constitution stipulates that to be part of the House of Representatives, one must be at least 25 years old; 30 to be a senator, and 35 for the presidency. But there are no age limits. Not even for the Supreme Court.
Even more shocking was the following case. In late 2024, someone in the press realized that the Republican congresswoman from TexasKay Granger, 81 years old and not seeking reelection, had been absent from congressional activities for months. No one had seen her or knew her whereabouts in the capital. Her team and family remained silent, only mentioning a health problem. Until several local journalists discovered that Granger had been residing for months in a senior living community in Fort Worth (Texas), which provided assisted living services and care for individuals with memory issues. Shortly after, her son confirmed that she was suffering from "dementia." It should have been a scandal, but it remained just another anecdote.
Then there is John Fetterman, former mayor of Braddock (Pennsylvania) and later lieutenant governor of the state. In the 2022 elections, he defeated Republican Mehmet Oz and secured a seat that Democrats, despite his independent status, considered crucial to maintaining control of the Senate.
In May 2022, during the electoral campaign, he suffered an almost fatal stroke. He survived but was left with severe consequences, especially an "auditory processing disorder" that made it difficult for him to understand real-time conversations. After winning the elections and starting his term in the Senate, his mental health deteriorated. In February 2023, following a medical evaluation, Fetterman voluntarily checked into the hospital for treatment for severe clinical depression. His team explained that he had experienced episodes of depression before, but in the weeks leading up, the situation had worsened considerably.
During his absence, there was intense political debate. Some Republicans questioned if he was fit to hold office, while many Democrats argued that he set a positive example by addressing mental illness as any other medical condition. Unlike the other examples mentioned, everything was transparent, at least at that time.
A year ago, New York Magazine published a lengthy article titled "John Fetterman's Struggle: Senator Insists He's in Good Health. Staff Say They Don't Recognize Him Anymore." The article focused not on depression but on subsequent behavioral changes that former staffers linked to his stroke recovery and mental health. His former chief of staff and other employees described abrupt mood swings, impulsive behavior, difficulty accepting criticism, lengthy, repetitive speeches, high staff turnover in his office, and social isolation. The big debate now is whether he might switch parties in the coming days and align himself with the Republicans until 2028.