Mitch McConnell fell and fractured his shoulder at home on Sunday, Politico reports.
The Republican leader has since been released from the hospital after tripping on his outside patio, his spokesman said. McConnell is working from home in Kentucky after returning from Washington for the August recess.
“He has been treated, released, and is working from home in Louisville,” said David Popp, McConnell’s communications director. “The leader will continue to work from home.”
Home from the hospital
McConnell first returned to Louisville on Thursday for a five-week recess after passing a budget deal that would suspend the debt ceiling for two years and prevent government shutdowns in the near future, Fox News reports. McConnell passed the deal Thursday after wrangling with Republicans who complained that it was fiscally reckless.
Despite his fall, McConnell said he reached out this weekend to Sens. John Cornyn (R-TX) and Rob Portman (R-OH) to express condolences for the victims of back-to-back mass shootings in El Paso, Texas and Dayton, Ohio. Thirty-one people were killed and dozens were injured in the consecutive shootings Saturday afternoon and early Sunday.
“This afternoon, he contacted Senators Cornyn and Portman to express his deepest sympathies for the people of El Paso and Dayton and discuss the senseless tragedies of this weekend,” Popp said of McConnell.
Liberals blame McConnell for gun violence
Meanwhile, Democrats including Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) called on McConnell to end the ongoing recess to pass a background check bill in an emergency session.
“Tonight, to leader McConnell, we say: enough must finally be enough,” Schumer said. “Stop blocking gun safety reforms that more than 90% of Americans have long sought passed. The majority leader should, once and for all, do the right thing and gavel the Senate into an emergency session so we can take immediate action on the bipartisan, already-passed gun safety legislation that House sent to the Senate in February.”
#MassacreMitch began trending on Twitter as others flocked to blame McConnell for America’s worsening gun violence problem. Liberals including CNN’s Brian Stelter criticized McConnell for offering “thoughts and prayers” to the victims of the weekend shootings while blocking gun control legislation, while Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) rebuked McConnell’s “bogus excuses.”
The House passed HR8, a Bipartisan Background Checks Act, *5 months ago* and the Senate has yet to vote on it.
It was one of our 1st major priorities after ending the gov shutdown.
You’ve been sitting on it since February giving bogus excuses.
Care to explain the people why? https://t.co/l5ZSDyPyWw
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) August 4, 2019
Liberals recently labeled McConnell “Moscow Mitch” after he blocked a vote on legislation to shield elections from foreign interference. The Republican furiously condemned leftist “McCarthyism” for tying him with the Kremlin over what he called principled objections to federal overreach.
But despite constant attacks from leftists, McConnell has by and large stood by conservative values — and President Donald Trump. We can only hope he gets well soon.
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