Newly released video shows former Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) being transported by ambulance following the medical emergency that led to his hospitalization last month, as questions continue surrounding the Kentucky senator’s condition.
CNN on Friday published video recorded by a neighbor showing emergency responders loading the 84-year-old senator onto a stretcher outside his Capitol Hill residence on June 14.
McConnell’s face is not visible in the footage, while an orange blanket covered his lower body as District of Columbia Fire and EMS personnel placed him into an ambulance.
According to CNN, the neighbor who recorded the video said another eyewitness identified McConnell while emergency crews were at the scene.
The witness also told CNN that McConnell was not wearing an oxygen mask as paramedics transported him to a nearby hospital.
Previously released emergency dispatch audio indicated first responders were called after McConnell was reportedly found unconscious at his home. Dispatch recordings stated that CPR was performed before he was transported for medical treatment.
The neighbor who witnessed the response told CNN that emergency personnel appeared calm throughout the incident.
“In a situation where perhaps time is of the essence, there seems to be a little bit more urgency, but there was no urgency here,” the witness told the network.
McConnell’s office has released few details regarding his condition since the hospitalization.
Senate Republican leaders have maintained that the longtime Kentucky lawmaker is recovering while remaining involved in Senate business.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) said earlier this week that he spoke with McConnell by telephone during what he described as a lengthy conversation covering several legislative matters, including national security, per the Conservative Brief.
Majority Whip John Barrasso also said he recently spoke with McConnell for roughly 20 minutes and described the senator as fully engaged and eager to return to the Senate.
CNN political commentator Scott Jennings, who previously served as an adviser to McConnell, likewise said the senator personally called him and sounded strong.
Despite those statements, questions about McConnell’s health have continued.
Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear (R) sent a letter to McConnell’s office this week requesting an update on the senator’s condition, saying constituents deserve greater transparency regarding the health of their elected officials.
President Donald Trump has also said he has not spoken with McConnell since the senator’s hospitalization and told reporters he does not know how the former Republican leader is doing.
Before announcing he would not seek another Senate term, McConnell experienced several widely publicized health incidents in recent years, including multiple falls and episodes in which he briefly froze while speaking publicly. He also received treatment earlier this year for flu-like symptoms and had frequently been seen using a wheelchair while traveling through the Capitol.
