Senator Mitch McConnell released another health update days ago as questions continue to swirl regarding the Kentucky Republican's health. It also gave Jimmy Kimmel another chance to troll McConnell during his prolonged absence from the Senate.
McConnell was hospitalized on June 14, and since then, there hasn't been much transparency about his condition. That has led to a number of conspiracy theories and questions surrounding the motivation for keeping the public in the dark. The first public update on July 12 didn't exactly put out any fires.
So McConnell released a second photo just two days ago. It featured the senator and his wife, Elaine Chao. A statement indicated that McConnell wasn't yet medically cleared to leave the rehab facility taking care of him, but he was intent on returning to his duties as a senator as soon as possible.
The photo made headlines, and Jimmy Kimmel quickly jumped in. The late-night host may be on summer vacation, but that doesn't mean he's completely unplugged.
Kimmel shared an Instagram post that superimposed his face over Chao's. The comedian included the caption “For those asking, Mitch and I are feeling better, stronger, sexier and still technically alive every day!”
This isn't the first time Kimmel trolled McConnell during the senator's recovery. When McConnell first put out a photo earlier this month, Kimmel pulled the same gag by putting his face over McConnell's. It even fooled Jimmy Kimmel Live! sidekick Guillermo, who reached out to see if Kimmel really was in fact in the hospital.
Kimmel's jokes at McConnell's expense suggest that whatever good graces the Republican found himself last year are gone. After Kimmel returned from suspension in 2025, he thanked a surprising list of people who spoke out in his defense. That list included McConnell, who argued Kimmel's comments about Charlie Kirk didn't warrant a suspension.
But McConnell has long been a punchline for late-night TV. Saturday Night Live, The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, and others have poked fun at McConnell's appearance and taken deeper dives into his record.
Some fans may think that a politician's health makes him off-limits for jokes. However, the lack of transparency surrounding McConnell's condition apparently changes the calculus for someone like Jimmy Kimmel.
Kimmel isn't expected back in front of the cameras at Jimmy Kimmel Live! until September. We'll have to wait and see if McConnell has any change in status before then. If so, Kimmel will want to stay sharp with his Photoshop skills.
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