GOP Senator Ron Johnson questions authenticity of McConnell 'proof of life' photo

GOP Senator Questions Authenticity of McConnell's "Proof of Life" Photo

Even Republican lawmakers are beginning to doubt Senator Mitch McConnell's recent health update.

Speaking with Real America's Voice's Eric Bolling on Monday, MAGA Senator Ron Johnson suggested that the image circulated by McConnell's office was not actually taken that day.

"I've just heard from some other sources that was an older photo. So I really don't know," Johnson said. "I haven't talked to Mitch—I certainly wish he and his family well, I hope he can recover. Listen, it's sad to watch people age, no matter who that person is."

The Kentucky senator went missing for nearly a month, with little explanation offered by his office, after he was found unconscious in his Washington residence and rushed to the hospital on June 14. The media blackout finally ended on Sunday, when McConnell's office shared a photo of the lawmaker beside his wife, holding a copy of The Washington Post's Sunday sports section in his lap.

In a statement released by McConnell's office alongside the image, the lawmaker explained several things that had not happened to him—including that he didn't break any bones or suffer a concussion, and he hadn't had a heart attack or stroke—rather than what had. The 84-year-old Republican did not offer any clarification on his current health condition, other than to say he had dealt with a "mild case of pneumonia" during his time in the hospital.

He also did not offer a projection for when he might return to work, noting that he has since been moved to a rehabilitation facility and is still "working closely" with legislative staff.

Far-right influencers immediately jumped on McConnell's statement, baselessly suggesting that the picture had been AI-generated while demanding that McConnell release a video statement to address public concern.

Johnson, however, changed his tune within hours of the broadcast.

"It was a rumor. Just discount it," Johnson told reporters. "I have no idea. I just, I heard that. I just heard it. So just assume it's false."

In a post on X, Johnson urged people to "beware of clickbait" and "watch the full clip."

"Most importantly, I hope @SenMcConnell makes a full recovery and returns to the Senate," he added.

Read more: MAGA Is Pissed at Mitch McConnell's Photographic Proof of Life

New Details Emerge in Senator Lindsey Graham's Death

An aide to Lindsey Graham called emergency services shortly before he died Saturday, after the South Carolina senator told her he was experiencing chest pains, according to a fellow GOP lawmaker.

Senator Tommy Tuberville of Alabama provided new information about Graham's unexpected death to reporters Monday evening.

A woman who worked as Graham's scheduler, and who had previously been Tuberville's scheduler, received a phone call from the South Carolina Republican Saturday night. While Tuberville did not identify the scheduler, a staffer named Taylor Stephens was the scheduling director for the late senator, and previously held the same role in Tuberville's office.

Graham called her, Tuberville recounted, and "basically he said, 'Listen, I'm having chest pains. I need to do something.'" The scheduler asked if Graham had called 911.

"He goes, 'No, that's the reason I called you,'" Tuberville said.

The woman, who had been at a restaurant with a current staffer of Tuberville's, then contacted emergency services before going to Graham's residence, where emergency personnel had "knocked the door down, and they were working on him."

The information elucidates the events of the senator's death by "aortic dissection due to arteriosclerotic cardiovascular disease," per his office. Previously, outlets including Fox News reported that the 911 call was made after 8 p.m. Saturday for cardiac arrest. About 25 minutes after the first dispatch, emergency personnel were reportedly conducting CPR.

Read more: Lindsey Graham Embodied the Republican Party's Authoritarian Drift