Mitch McConnell’s office has released a new image of the senator after demands for further evidence over his health status. But Jimmy Fallon, like others, isn’t buying it.
On Monday, McConnell’s staff released a fresh photograph that looks nearly identical to the first image delivered to the public on July 12. In both, the 84-year-old lawmaker is seated, seemingly propped up, wearing a button-down shirt, and smiling next to his wife, Elaine Chao, who is seen grasping his arm.
Fallon displayed the two images side by side, pointing out a major flaw.
“Looks like one of those assignments where you have to spot 10 differences,” quipped the late-night host.
Fallon previously scrutinized the first image released by McConnell’s team, which has faced increasing pressure to be transparent with the public.
“Nothing says perfect health like having someone hold you up when you’re already sitting,” Fallon said with regard to the photograph.
“Looks like a husband-and-wife ventriloquist act,” he quipped at the time.
The latest visual update has been met with further skepticism, with both Democrats and MAGA loyalists suggesting that the photo was staged. Most criticisms align with Fallon’s: that the two images are acutely similar.
McConnell was hospitalized nearly six weeks ago and has not been seen in public since. According to NBC, he has missed 38 votes on the Senate floor.
The senator released a statement on Monday, saying, “I’m still working hard to get back to my full schedule of work in the Senate and in Kentucky, keeping up with intense physical therapy per my doctors’ orders.”
His team included a statement from the Office of the Attending Physician, without naming a doctor.
“Senator McConnell continues his recovery from a fall at home in June,” the statement read. “OAP physicians visit with the Senator every day, discussing all aspects of his rehabilitation care.”
“Since his discharge from hospital care, he has maintained a strenuous course of physical therapy and rehabilitation, including multiple sessions a day designed to rebuild strength and reduce the risk of future falls,” it continued. “His bout with childhood polio continues to be a significant factor in his mobility. He is not yet medically cleared to leave the rehab facility and return to the office.”
