Emergency responders took Sen. Mitch McConnell to an ambulance on a stretcher after being called to his home for a report of an unconscious person, according to new video and an eyewitness account. The details add rare clarity to an episode that has remained murky for weeks.
A neighbor told CNN they opened their door around 8:30 a.m. on June 14 and found two ambulances, a fire truck and Capitol Police officers blocking the street outside McConnell’s home. The neighbor said the scene looked controlled rather than frantic, even as responders moved quickly.
What the video appears to show
Videos recorded by the neighbor show emergency responders wheeling a person on a stretcher toward an ambulance. The person’s face is not visible in the footage, but the lower legs can be seen and appear to be covered by an orange blanket while the feet remain visible.
| Detail | What was reported | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Emergency vehicles | Two ambulances and a fire truck | Neighbor account |
| Location | McConnell’s residence in Washington, DC | Public records and video |
| Patient transport | Person wheeled on a stretcher into an ambulance | Neighbor video |
The neighbor said they asked officers what was happening and were told there had been a “medical emergency.” When they asked if McConnell himself was having a medical emergency, officers said they would block the street for anybody.
How the neighbor identified McConnell
According to the neighbor, another eyewitness who saw the person’s face said the person on the stretcher was McConnell and that he was not wearing an oxygen mask. The neighbor also said they looked at McConnell’s feet and saw that they were uncovered and, in a brief glimpse, “not moving.”
“He’s in a stretcher, and he’s in some sort like orange foam looking blanket type thing,” the neighbor said. The neighbor added that others on the block believed they had seen McConnell’s face directly.
An EMS audio recording published by an independent journalist indicated that responders were called to the Washington, DC, home for an “unconscious” person and for a “cardiac arrest,” and someone is heard saying, “CPR in progress.”
What remains undisclosed
McConnell’s team has not disclosed what prompted the hospital visit or given specific details about his condition. When the incident first became public, his spokesperson said only that McConnell was “admitted to the hospital this morning” and was “receiving excellent care.”
A spokesperson for McConnell declined to comment when asked about the new details. Weeks later, friends and former colleagues have said they have spoken with him in recent days, but they have not shared any specifics about his health.
The hospitalization has fueled online speculation, while some Republicans, including Senate Majority Leader John Thune, have said they recently spoke with McConnell. CNN senior political commentator Scott Jennings said on “The Arena” that he talked with McConnell by phone Tuesday and that his “voice sounded strong.”