{"id":2637951,"date":"2026-07-30T16:20:01","date_gmt":"2026-07-30T20:20:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/fetterman-defends-mcconnell-from-andy-beshear-health-scrutiny\/"},"modified":"2026-07-30T16:22:00","modified_gmt":"2026-07-30T20:22:00","slug":"fetterman-defends-mcconnell-from-andy-beshear-health-scrutiny","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/fetterman-defends-mcconnell-from-andy-beshear-health-scrutiny\/","title":{"rendered":"Fetterman defends McConnell from Andy Beshear health scrutiny"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">16<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Ffetterman-defends-mcconnell-from-andy-beshear-health-scrutiny%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2637951&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>Senator John Fetterman (D-PA) publicly defended senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell&#8217;s prolonged absence due to health issues, criticizing those who scrutinize his health as seeking personal publicity. Fetterman implied that critics, including Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, are using McConnell&#8217;s situation to make headlines, suggesting their motivations are self-serving. mcconnell, who has had recent falls and health challenges, stated he is <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/al-roker-says-hes-glad-to-be-alive-on-birthday-after-multiple-hospitalizations\/\" title=\"Al Roker grateful for life on birthday after hospital stays.\">undergoing physical therapy<\/a> and plans to return to the Senate soon. The controversy around McConnell&#8217;s health has fueled speculation about his potential early resignation,especially with a key deadline approaching for calling a special election to fill his seat. Fetterman highlighted the importance of dignity regarding age and health debates and acknowledged his own health struggles, including a hospitalization for depression. The situation has sparked broader discussions about clarity and respect for aging politicians.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<article class=\"fn-body\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>EXCLUSIVE \u2014 <\/strong>Sen. <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/john-fetterman\/\">John Fetterman<\/a> (D-PA) defended Sen. <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/mitch-mcconnell\/\">Mitch McConnell\u2019s<\/a> (R-KY) prolonged absence from the Senate on Thursday, claiming that the \u201cpeople\u201d who are scrutinizing his health \u201cwant to put their name in the news.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The remark amounts to an apparent dig at Gov. <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/andy-beshear\/\">Andy Beshear<\/a> (D-KY), a possible 2028 Democratic presidential candidate. This week, Beshear called on McConnell to <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/senate\/4665653\/andy-beshear-demands-proof-capacity-serve-or-resign-mitch-mcconnell\/\">provide \u201cproof\u201d of his fitness for office<\/a> or resign.<\/p>\n<section class=\"explore-more-section\" id=\"wex-recommended-widget\">\n<div class=\"magazine-container single\">\n<h1 class=\"magazine-title mt-2\">Recommended Stories<\/h1>\n<p>             <i class=\"fa-solid fa-play icon\"><\/i>         <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-grid\">\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/senate\/4669677\/fetterman-andy-beshear-mcconnell-health\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>Fetterman says Beshear trying to put his \u2018name in the news\u2019 with McConnell health scrutiny<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/senate\/4669549\/senators-support-cancelling-recess-save-america-act\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>Here are the 14 senators who support canceling recess over SAVE America Act<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<div class=\"explore-card\">                         <a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/senate\/4669136\/senate-fails-trump-iran-war-powers-vote\/?itm_source=parsely-api\">                             <\/p>\n<div class=\"explore-thumb-wrap\">                                                                                                                                  <\/div>\n<h3>Senate GOP blocks push to limit Trump\u2019s war powers despite tensions with White House<\/h3>\n<p>                         <\/a>                     <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/section>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">McConnell said in a Monday statement he is undergoing physical therapy for a fall he suffered in June and will <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.mcconnell.senate.gov\/public\/index.cfm\/pressreleases?ID=DC6BF158-0E6A-4BAC-AF63-43E7DB393869\">return<\/a> to the Senate \u201csoon.\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-1\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap wex-ad-art-dsk-inart-1\" style=\"min-height:90px\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" hidden>Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-15\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-1\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cHe hasn\u2019t been here, but he\u2019s not gone,\u201d Fetterman told the <em>Washington Examiner<\/em>. \u201cAnd it\u2019s not \u2014 I don\u2019t understand. You know, McConnell doesn\u2019t claim that he\u2019s training for \u2018Dancing with the Stars.\u2019 I mean, yeah, he\u2019s an old man, and he\u2019s in rough shape. No s***, we all know that.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cNow, if people continue to criticize this thing, it seems it\u2019s only because they want to put their name in the news,\u201d Fetterman added.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">When asked to clarify whether he\u2019s referring to Beshear and his scrutiny of McConnell, Fetterman said, \u201cI mean, he\u2019s a serious guy. I don\u2019t think he needs to use that as a way to try to inject him into news.\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-2\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap wex-ad-art-dsk-inart-2\" style=\"min-height:90px\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" hidden>Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-16\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-2\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A spokesperson for Beshear did not respond to a request for comment before publication. Under a 2024 law that stripped the governor of his appointment power, Beshear gets to call a special election for vacant Senate seats, but the deadline for doing so is quickly approaching.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Jeffrey Budziak, a political science professor at Western Kentucky University, said the rough cutoff is Aug. 3 based on the amount of time state officials generally need to prepare for such an election.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">McConnell, 84, has announced he will retire at the end of the year, and Republicans have since nominated Rep. Andy Barr (R-KY) to replace him. But the lack of transparency around his health \u2014 it took weeks for McConnell\u2019s staff to disclose the fall \u2014 has fanned speculation that if he resigns early, it would be after the rough cutoff of Monday.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-3\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap wex-ad-art-dsk-inart-3\" style=\"min-height:90px\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" hidden>Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-17\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-3\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">McConnell, a childhood survivor of polio, has been treated for repeated falls over the past few years. His health became a flashpoint late in his tenure as Senate GOP leader when he experienced multiple public freezing episodes.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In the interview, Fetterman said the question of whether McConnell should resign is entirely up to him and compared the story, which has sparked conspiracy theories that McConnell is on life support or otherwise incapacitated, to Democrats\u2019 push to get the late Sen. <a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/tag\/dianne-feinstein\/\" data-type=\"post_tag\" data-id=\"1430\">Dianne Feinstein<\/a> to step down before her death in 2023.<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/4667008\/ro-khanna-formidable-josh-shapiro-fetterman-pennsylvania\/\"><strong>RO KHANNA CALLS JOSH SHAPIRO \u2018FORMIDABLE\u2019 IN SWING THROUGH PENNSYLVANIA<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-4\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap wex-ad-art-dsk-inart-4\" style=\"min-height:90px\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" hidden>Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-25\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-4\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cI think there\u2019s a basic level of dignity,\u201d he said. \u201cAnd they\u2019re focusing on people like \u2014 I mean, we had Feinstein. I said the same thing: dignity. You know, at this point, I don\u2019t think it\u2019s really helpful right now.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Fetterman has a personal experience with health-related scrutiny, as he admitted himself to a hospital early in his Senate tenure to treat clinical depression and was gone for six weeks. He is a reliable vote for Democrats in the Senate but has increasingly criticized members of his own party.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"wex-inarticle-ad wex-inarticle-ad-art-dsk-inart-5\">\n<div class=\"wex-ad-wrap wex-ad-art-dsk-inart-5\" style=\"min-height:90px\"><span class=\"wex-ad-label\" hidden>Advertisement<\/span><\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-3182201-26\" data-wex-ad=\"art-dsk-inart-5\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Fetterman defends McConnell\u2019s absence, suggests critics seek fame<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2651,"featured_media":2637952,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/image-collage-1w0w5wee8-1785437558712-e1785439171483.jpg?1785423342&amp;w=696","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[33651],"tags":[7921,53089,5894],"class_list":["post-2637951","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-western-journal","tag-fetterman","tag-mcconnell-2","tag-politics"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/image-collage-1w0w5wee8-1785437558712-e1785439171483.jpg?1785423342&amp;w=696","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2637951","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2651"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2637951"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2637951\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2637955,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2637951\/revisions\/2637955"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2637952"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2637951"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2637951"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2637951"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}