Scott Jennings urged to call Mitch McConnell on TV. See his response

July 9, 2026, 1:37 p.m. ET

After speaking to Kentucky Sen. Mitch McConnell from the hospital this week, Scott Jennings was pressed about the conversation and even urged to call the politician during a live TV appearance.

Jennings, a commentator and longtime McConnell adviser, wrote in a July 7 post on X that he spoke to McConnell for roughly 20 minutes that morning.

"He’s still recovering in the hospital," Jennings wrote. "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."

Hours later, Jennings appeared on CNN's "The Arena," where other guests and host Kasie Hunt pressed him for more details about the conversation.

McConnell, 84, has been hospitalized since June 14. His office has not disclosed what he is being treated for, leading to widespread speculation about his health.

Scott Jennings addresses 'crazy' rumors about Mitch McConnell

During his appearance on "The Arena," Jennings offered few details about McConnell's hospitalization beyond emphasizing "his desire to keep things private."

After Hunt asked him to call McConnell on air, Jennings laughed and said, "I wasn't really expecting him to call this morning to be honest, so when the phone rang and I was able to talk to him, I was frankly pretty grateful."

Jennings also addressed theories about McConnell's health.

"All the rumors about him being dead or brain dead or, you know, his body's being hidden somewhere – I've seen all kinds of crazy things on the internet," Jennings said. "That's obviously not true because he picked up the phone and called me."

In addition to Jennings, several of McConnell's Senate colleagues have said they recently spoke with the 84-year-old.

Both Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-South Dakota, and Senate Majority Whip John Barrasso, R-Wyoming, spoke to McConnell on July 6 and 7, respectively, aides confirmed.

On July 6, Thune spoke with McConnell on a variety of topics including national security, and the conversation was "long and substantive," a Thune spokesperson said in a statement.

The following day, Barrasso talked to McConnell for roughly 20 minutes, discussing topics like upcoming Senate work, the latest Supreme Court news and the Maine Senate race, according to a statement from Barrasso spokeswoman Kate Noyes.

"Senator McConnell was fully engaged and is eager to get back to the Senate," Noyes said.

McConnell was admitted to the hospital on the morning of June 14, spokesperson David Popp confirmed at the time. His office did not provide further details about the reason for the hospitalization.

Audio from emergency dispatch calls to an address listed in records as McConnell's longtime Washington, DC, residence on the morning of June 14 indicated that someone at the scene was unconscious. Another call several minutes later said someone was in "cardiac arrest."

McConnell's office, when asked by USA TODAY on July 1 to comment on that audio, neither confirmed nor denied whether the calls involved the longtime senator.

On July 1, McConnell's aides also provided a statement saying that he "continues to improve, and is working closely with his staff on Kentucky and Senate matters while the Senate is out of session." They shared the same statement in response to USA TODAY's request for comment on July 7.

Melina Khan is a national trending reporter for USA TODAY. Keep up with her on X @melinakh and Instagram @bymelinakhan.