Josh Hawley criticizes Mitch McConnell over health

Sen. Josh Hawley is admonishing his Republican colleague, Mitch McConnell, over the former Senate majority leader's whereabouts after an absence from Congress that has lasted over a month.

The Missouri senator sent well wishes to McConnell, 84, and his family during a Fox News Digital interview published July 19 but noted that "at a certain point you do have an obligation to your constituents and the country to tell them what's going on."

First elected to the Senate in 1984, McConnell has served seven terms representing Kentucky. McConnell broke his public silence in a July 12 statement to address a hospitalization that spurred widespread criticism, conspiracy theories and online conversations.

He was hospitalized after experiencing a fall that left him briefly unconscious and said he had a bout of mild pneumonia during his hospitalization and has since been moved to a rehabilitation center. The statement included a photo of him with his wife, Elaine Chao, in the hospital.

U.S. Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense Chair Senator Mitch McConnell (R-KY) speaks during a hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC on May 19, 2026.

Senator Mitch McConnell (R-KY) is helped up steps as he enters the U.S. Capitol in Washington, DC on Feb. 2, 2026. McConnell checked himself into a hospital on Monday, Feb. 2, "after experiencing flu-like symptoms over the weekend," a spokesperson for the Kentucky Republican told USA TODAY. McConnell, 83, the seven-term Senator from Kentucky who served 18 years as the Republican leader, announced last year that he will not seek reelection and will retire after his current term.

Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY) speaks during a news conference at the U.S. Capitol on Nov. 6, 2024 in Washington, DC. McConnell, who has served as a Senator from Kentucky since 1985 and is the longest serving senator in his state's history, spoke about the Republican Party taking the Senate majority and his plans for the upcoming congress.

Minority Leader of the U.S. Senate Mitch McConnell speaks during the 60th annual Kentucky State Fair Ham Auction Thursday morning, Aug. 22, 2024.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) arrives for a news conference following a Senate Republican party policy luncheon on Capitol Hill on Sept. 17, 2024 in Washington, DC. Republican Senate leadership spoke to reporters on a range of topics including a defense appropriations bill, In vitro fertilization (IVF) and Democratic presidential candidate U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris' policies on the U.S. border and inflation.

Kentucky Sen. Mitch McConnell: See the Republican leader's decades-long career in office

A timeline of Mitch McConnell's health issues, including 2023 fall

Hawley told Fox that "we've got a slim majority; it's not easy," referencing Republicans' slight edge over Democrats, 53-47, in the upper chamber.

"I just hear a lot from leadership that, 'Well, we don't have the votes for this.' Like the voter I.D., we don't have the votes for that. Well, we might want to do something about that," he said. Hawley said he has been "totally in the dark" about McConnell's condition and told the outlet that "I never had any idea about any of his health stuff."

When asked about term limits, Hawley said he has "nothing against colleagues who are older," citing Iowa Sen. Chuck Grassley, who is 92. "Chuck is sharp as a tack and spry and all that stuff," Hawley said.

"But I do think there needs to be term limits. People just come here and stay forever. And I don't think it's what the founders intended," Hawley continued. "I don't think it's what people want. So, I've always been a big proponent of a constitutional amendment for term limits."

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Josh Hawley criticizes Mitch McConnell over health-related absence