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Mitch McConnell health update: Andy Beshear doubles down attack with Fauci comparisons; 'Refuses to ask the same...'
Andy Beshear renewed pressure on Mitch McConnell over his health after Rand Paul questioned Anthony Fauci during a Senate hearing.
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Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear has renewed his criticism of Senator Rand Paul, linking the ongoing questions around Senator Mitch McConnell’s health with Paul’s decision to call Dr. Anthony Fauci before Congress.
On Tuesday, Beshear argued that if Paul believes 85-year-old Fauci should publicly answer questions, then 84-year-old McConnell should also directly address Kentuckians about his health.
The latest exchange comes as McConnell remains in a rehabilitation facility after a June fall, while Fauci appeared before a Senate committee and repeatedly invoked his constitutional right against self-incrimination during questioning.
Gov. Andy Beshear questions Sen. Rand Paul over Mitch McConnell’s health
Beshear shared his criticism on X on July 29, writing, “Today Rand Paul wants to force an 85-year-old Dr. Anthony Fauci to address the American people but refuses to ask the same of 84-year-old Mitch McConnell.”
His post came a day after he sent McConnell a public letter asking him to “directly and verbally address the people of Kentucky and provide proof of your capacity to serve, or resign.”
The governor has repeatedly raised concerns about McConnell’s health and his absence from public events over the past several weeks. McConnell has not announced plans to seek reelection and has continued working remotely with his staff while recovering.
Paul, Kentucky’s junior senator, dismissed Beshear’s criticism and called it a political campaign move. The disagreement has added to an already heated debate over whether aging elected officials should publicly answer questions about their ability to continue serving.
Also Read:Fauci invokes the Fifth Amendment, declines to testify in GOP-led Senate panel's COVID-19 hearing
Fauci invokes Fifth Amendment
Earlier on July 29, Fauci appeared before the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, which is chaired by Paul.
During the hearing, Fauci invoked the Fifth Amendment several times and did not answer questions about the origins of COVID-19, gain-of-function research and material contained in more than 1,000 pages of his pandemic-era diary that had been released.
Paul has argued that Fauci gave inconsistent statements in the past and said the committee could consider contempt proceedings. Fauci, meanwhile, described Paul’s actions as an “unhinged obsession.”
Mitch McConnell working to return as rehabilitation continues
McConnell was hospitalized on June 14 after falling at his Washington, D.C., home and briefly losing consciousness. He was also treated for mild pneumonia. According to updates from his office, doctors ruled out fractures, stroke, heart problems, a brain tumor, hemorrhage and a concussion.
In a July 27 statement shared with a new photograph, McConnell said he is “still working hard to get back to my full schedule.” His attending physician said the senator continues intense physical therapy several times a day.
The statement also noted that childhood polio remains a major factor affecting his mobility, and he has not yet been medically cleared to leave rehabilitation and return to work in person. Because of his recovery, McConnell will also miss Kentucky’s upcoming Fancy Farm picnic.
