On Tuesday night’s episode of CNN’s “The Arena,” host Kasie Hunt put Republican pundit Scott Jennings on the spot when she asked him if he’d call his longtime friend Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) live on air.
McConnell’s Hospitalization and Speculation
McConnell, 84, was hospitalized after he was apparently found unconscious in his home on June 14. The senator hasn’t been seen in weeks, prompting speculation over the former majority leader’s condition. Earlier Tuesday, Jennings had written on X that he’d spoken to his “old friend” that morning and said McConnell is “still recovering in the hospital.”
Jennings said he and McConnell had chatted for about 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.”
Hunt’s On-Air Challenge
“Scott Jennings, you know, as we wrap up here — do you think he’d be willing to call in to the show?” Hunt asked Jennings point-blank about McConnell on Tuesday. “Could we get him on the phone now?” In response, Jennings laughed nervously.
“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,” Jennings said, adding that he’s known the Kentucky Republican since he was a teenager and considers him a mentor who “changed the trajectory of my life.”
“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, you know, somewhat in the dark about it,” he added. “But to hear him talking and to know that he’s also talking to the Senate leadership, it made me pretty happy.”
Transparency Questions
But Hunt was on the hunt for more information and asked Jennings if he thought McConnell’s team should be more transparent with the public, rather than steadily releasing vague statements. “Do you think they should put out a picture of Mitch McConnell?” she asked. “That he should release more to the public to quiet this noise?”
Jennings replied that McConnell values his privacy. “I sometimes wonder, like, if I were laying in a hospital bed, would I want a bunch of people around photographing me? Probably not,” he said. “Particularly if I were an 84-year-old person who’s normally private about his health. Probably not.” He continued, “But, look, I take the criticism. 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 officeholders, you know, they’re in charge of their own operations.”
Jennings went on to say that he’s seen some “crazy” rumors on the internet about McConnell’s condition like, “him being dead or brain dead or, you know, his body is being hidden.” “That’s obviously not true,” Jennings added. “Because he picked up the phone and called me and that was a good thing.”
“Well, let him know our phone lines are open here at ‘The Arena,’ should he wish to call in,” Hunt said.
