Elaine Chao releases statement amid husband Mitch McConnell’s long hospital stay

It’s been more than three weeks since Sen. Mitch McConnell was admitted to the hospital, and while questions about his health remain unanswered, we’re hearing from the senator’s wife for the first time.

In a statement sent to WLKY on Tuesday, a spokesperson for Elaine Chao, who was secretary of labor under George W. Bush and secretary of transportation in Trump’s first administration, said:

“The secretary was on a long-planned trip in China to support her family’s philanthropic endeavors. During the trip, she met with a number of people, including the US ambassador. The Senator’s health did not warrant an immediate return to the US.”

They added that Chao has since returned from her trip to China and is back in the U.S. Her staff did not say whether she’s been in contact with McConnell since returning home.

She left for the trip to China on June 12, just two days before McConnell was hospitalized.

It remains unclear why McConnell was hospitalized on June 14.

In their latest statement to WLKY on July 2, McConnell’s staff said:

“Senator McConnell appreciates the outpouring of support he’s receiving while he continues his recovery in the hospital. The Senator continues to improve, and is working closely with his staff on Kentucky and Senate matters while the Senate is out of session.”

Calls from dispatchers and EMS were released from June 14, the day of his hospitalization. On the calls, EMS was being directed to McConnell’s home in Washington, D.C. with dispatchers mentioning “cardiac arrest” and “CPR” in reference to an unconscious person.

Those calls have not been confirmed to be about McConnell.

On Tuesday, several senators and a former advisor to McConnell said they’ve spoken to to him. | Read their statements here.

McConnell’s last Senate vote was June 11. A couple of weeks earlier, McConnell was pictured using a wheelchair to get around the Capitol.