Why Was Mitch McConnell Hospitalized? All About the U.S. Senator’s Health

Over the past decade, Mitch McConnell’s health has drawn nearly as much attention as his politics.

Concerns for the Kentucky senator began in 2019, when he fractured his shoulder after falling at his Louisville home. He suffered multiple injuries — including a concussion, cuts on his face and a rib fracture — from other falls throughout the next six years, as reported by NPR, CNN and the BBC. The politician’s mental health was also called into question when he froze during two press conferences in 2023.

Though the U.S. Capitol physician cleared McConnell, the senator stepped down from his long-held position as head of the Senate Republican Conference in November of the following year.

“I turned 82 last week,” he said while announcing that he was vacating his position in February 2024. “The end of my contributions are closer than I’d prefer. I am no longer the young man sitting in the back, hoping colleagues would remember my name. It is time for the next generation of leadership.”

In February 2026, Sen. McConnell admitted himself into the hospital with “flu-like symptoms,” per a statement shared with PEOPLE.

Here’s everything to know about why Mitch McConnell was hospitalized and what he’s said about his health.

McConnell contracted polio as a child 

The U.S. senator was diagnosed with polio when he was 2 years old, over 10 years before the vaccine was available. He experienced partial paralysis in his left leg, which was treated through rehabilitation.

In a 2019 speaking engagement, McConnell recalled how his mother watched him “every waking moment for two years” after doctors told her that he could fall and harm himself further, Roll Call reported.

He underwent triple heart bypass surgery in 2003

In February 2003, McConnell underwent triple bypass heart surgery due to blocked arteries, CNN reported. The procedure was recommended by the U.S. Capitol physician after the blockages were discovered during a routine cardiovascular screening test.

The Midland Reporter-Telegram reported that McConnell returned to work three weeks later.

McConnell has fallen several times since 2019

The senator fell at least five times between 2019 and 2025, the first of which occurred at his home and resulted in a fractured shoulder, per the Lexington Herald Leader.

In March 2023, McConnell tripped and fell during a dinner event in Washington, D.C. He was later hospitalized and treated for a concussion and a minor rib fracture. The Kentucky politician fell again in December 2024 after a lunch, resulting in a small cut on his face.

McConnell also fell down a set of stairs in Washington in February 2025. A spokesperson for the senator later attributed the stumble to his polio and said that he was “fine.” His fifth reported fall was caught on camera in October 2025, after he was questioned by an activist walking through a Senate building.

In the video, which was later shared on X, the senator can be seen being helped to his feet before he waves to the camera and crowd.

He was medically cleared after two freezing episodes in 2023

In July 2023, McConnell suddenly stopped speaking mid-sentence while taking questions during a press conference. A similar incident occurred the following month in Kentucky, after a reporter asked him if he would seek reelection in 2026.

A spokesperson for the senator claimed that he “felt momentarily lightheaded and paused” during the August 2023 incident. The U.S. Capitol physician cleared him to go back to work the following day.

“I have consulted with Leader McConnell and conferred with his neurology team,” Dr. Brian Monahan wrote in a statement released by McConnell’s office, per CNN. “After evaluating yesterday’s incident, I have informed Leader McConnell that he is medically clear to continue with his schedule as planned.”

The freezing incident occurred a few months after he had suffered a minor concussion from a fall, and Dr. Monahan noted that “occasional lightheadedness is not uncommon in concussion recovery.”

McConnell spoke about knowing “when it’s time to move on” in 2024

When announcing in February 2024 that he would vacate his leadership position in the Senate Republican Conference, McConnell did not acknowledge his recent health struggles. However, he noted his age and the death of his sister-in-law, Angela Chao, as reasons for stepping down.

“One of life’s most under-appreciated talents is to know when it’s time to move on to life’s next chapter,” the senator said in prepared remarks. “So I stand before you today … to say that this will be my last term as Republican leader of the Senate.”

McConnell is the U.S. Senate’s longest-serving party leader. Though he’s no longer at the helm, he said he’ll remain in Congress through the rest of his term, which expires in 2027.

He was hospitalized with “flu-like symptoms” in February 2026

In February 2026, the Kentucky senator admitted himself into the hospital after experiencing “flu-like symptoms,” according to his spokesperson. The statement noted that his prognosis is “positive” and that he only sought treatment “in an abundance of caution.”

“He is in regular contact with his staff and looks forward to returning to Senate business,” the statement concluded.