What To Know
- Scott Jennings was challenged live on air to call Mitch McConnell, amid public concern over the senator’s health.
- Jennings recounted a recent 20-minute phone conversation with McConnell.
- While acknowledging concerns about transparency, Jennings defended McConnell’s privacy regarding his health.
CNN’s conservative commentator Scott Jennings was put on the spot on Tuesday (July 7) when asked to call Senator Mitch McConnell (R-KY) on air amid mystery over the veteran Republican’s health status.
The moment happened on Tuesday’s edition of The Arena when host Kasie Hunt asked Jennings about a call he’d allegedly had with the senator earlier that day. McConnell hasn’t been seen in public in weeks, leading many to question his health status.
“I spoke to my old friend Mitch McConnell this morning, the senior Senator from Kentucky,” Jennings wrote on X earlier that day. “He’s still recovering in the hospital. We talked for just shy of 20 minutes … about IRAN, UKRAINE, the unfolding situation in MAINE, my visit to the TR Presidential Library, and even a little bit of Senate history. I told him we want to see him back at work as soon as possible.”
I spoke to my old friend Mitch McConnell this morning, the senior Senator from Kentucky. He’s still recovering in the hospital. We talked for just shy of 20 minutes … about IRAN, UKRAINE, the unfolding situation in MAINE, my visit to the TR Presidential Library, and even a…
— Scott Jennings (@ScottJenningsKY) July 7, 2026
Hunt wondered if Jennings would be able to get McConnell on the phone again, asking him, “As we wrap up here, do you think he’d be willing to call into the show? Could we get him on the phone now?”
Jennings laughed off Hunt’s question, responding, “I wasn’t really expecting him to call this morning to be honest, so when the phone rang, and I was able to talk to him, I was frankly pretty grateful.”
The MAGA supporter said he was a teenager when he first met McConnell, adding, “If it hadn’t been for Mitch McConnell and the McConnell Center at the University of Louisville, I would never have been able to go to college. He’s been my mentor, and he changed the trajectory of my life.”
Jennings said he’d been “extremely worried” about McConnell ahead of the phone call. “So when I heard his voice today, and he was clearly keeping up with stuff, that made me happy to hear from him because, like everybody else, I’ve been somewhat in the dark about it, but to hear him talking and to know that he’s also talking to the Senate leadership, it made me pretty happy.”
When Hunt asked whether McConnell’s team needed to be more transparent about his status, including releasing photos, Jennings pushed back on that idea.
“If I were laying in a hospital bed, would I want a bunch of people around photographing me? Probably not,” Jennings stated. “Particularly if I were an 84-year-old person who’s normally private about his health.”
Jennings said he accepts the “criticism,” noting, “I think it’s a fair question about transparency. I think it’s a fair question about whether they’ve done enough. But ultimately, these office holders, you know, they’re in charge of their own operations.”
Before wrapping up the show, Hunt told Jennings, “Well, let him know, our phone lines are open here at The Arena should he wish to call in.”
Jennings later appeared on Laura Coates Live, where he reiterated that he’d received a call from McConnell that morning. “I can just tell you that I saw some people postulating that he was deceased or not capable of having a conversation, and that certainly wasn’t my experience,” he stated.