MITCH MCCONNELL DISCHARGED FROM REHABILITATION CENTRE

United States Senator Mitch McConnell announced on Thursday that he has been discharged from a rehabilitation centre and will continue his recovery at home. The 84-year-old Kentucky lawmaker has been absent from public view since mid-June, when he was hospitalised following a fall at his home in Washington, DC. McConnell said he would maintain an intensive regimen of physical therapy at home during the Senate's August recess and would continue to engage with his staff and colleagues on Senate business. His office has released two photographs from his hospitalisation but has not released any video or audio footage.

McConnell was taken to hospital on 14 June after the fall left him briefly unconscious. According to his office, he developed pneumonia whilst hospitalised and was treated with antibiotics. The senator's extended absence from public view has narrowed the Republican majority in the chamber as lawmakers faced several consequential votes. His continued invisibility has prompted criticism that he and his staff have not been forthcoming about the status of his health, and has sparked online speculation about the extent of his condition.

The 84-year-old's prolonged absence has contributed to broader discussion about the advanced age of many elected officials in the United States. McConnell now chairs the Senate Rules Committee and has indicated he remains engaged with legislative work despite his recovery. His statement was released on the day the Senate adjourned for its August recess, marking his first public communication in ten days.