The Daily Show offered a dark analogy about Republican Senator Mitch McConnell as questions mount about the lawmaker’s health.
The 84-year-old senator from Kentucky was hospitalized on June 14, but little is known about his current condition. Last week, McConnell’s spokesperson told news outlets he “continues to improve, and is working closely with his staff on Kentucky and Senate matters while the Senate is out of session.”
Host Ronny Chieng joked about McConnell’s health on Tuesday’s episode of The Daily Show, amid growing speculation about the lawmaker’s recovery. The comedian started by playing a viral video of a skydiver carrying the U.S. flag as he fell into a crowd at a Fourth of July celebration in California.
“People managed to get outside and celebrate in ways that did not in any way feel like a metaphor for where America is at right now,” Chieng said as he introduced the clip.
Afterward, Chieng continued: “Again, that was not a metaphor for America, because that guy is completely OK. I mean, seriously, the skydiver is fine. And actually fine, not like Mitch McConnell fine.”
“Just kidding. Mitch is doing great. He’s doing great. And he can’t wait to get back,” Chieng said as he gave a thumbs-up and shook his head.
The Independent has contacted McConnell’s office for comment.
Republican lawmakers and allies said they spoke with McConnell by phone this week as his recovery continues.
A spokesperson for Senate Majority Leader John Thune said he and McConnell had a “lengthy and substantive conversation that covered a variety of topics, including national security,” according to The Hill. Senate Majority Whip John Barrasso also spoke to McConnell for “roughly 20 minutes” Tuesday, a spokesperson for his office said.
CNN contributor Scott Jennings, a Kentucky native and former adviser to McConnell, said he spoke with the lawmaker for “just shy of 20 minutes” Tuesday morning.
“He’s still recovering in the hospital. We talked for just shy of 20 minutes … about IRAN, UKRAINE, the unfolding situation in MAINE, my visit to the TR Presidential Library, and even a little bit of Senate history. I told him we want to see him back at work as soon as possible,” Jennings wrote on X.
McConnell first took office in 1985, and was elected nine times to lead the Republican conference from 2006 to 2024, making him the longest-serving Senate party leader in U.S. history. McConnell is set to retire in January, after announcing last year that he will not seek reelection.
