NEWSFox News Contributor Gives Mitch McConnell Ultimatum After 85-Day Absence: 'Step Down'
Mitch McConnell was given an ultimatum by 'Fox News' contributor Joe Concha.
Sept. 7 2026, Published 2:50 p.m. ET
Missing Mitch McConnell has been given an ultimatum.
On The Big Weekend Show, Fox News contributor Joe Concha said of McConnell, who is notably the longest-serving Senate party leader in history: “If he does not come back in September, he needs to step down,” per The Daily Beast.
Mitch McConnell had been AWOL for 85 days since his fall at his home.
84-year-old McConnell has been absent without official leave from Congress for 85 days since his fall at his home more than 2 months ago.
Apparently, the incident left him “briefly unconscious,” leading to his near three-month absence.
Following that, he was said to have suffered from a mild case of pneumonia.
His absence endangers the GOP’s Senate majority.
Joe Concha Fumed at Mitch McConnell's Absence
Joe Concha gave Mitch McConnell ultimatum after his near-three-month absence.
On the show, Concha fumed, “How many months has it been since we even heard from him directly?”
“I don’t want to see, you know, proof-of-life photos from a hospital bed anymore. He needs to get in front of a microphone and prove that he can do this job. And if he can’t, he needs to step aside. Period,” he delivered his message loud and clear.
For those who might not be keeping up, McConnell's team released two photographs showing him propped up in a hospital chair, smiling with his wife Elaine Chao, in a bid to pacify the critics.
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Tomi Lahren Also Criticized McConnell's Team's Latest Moves
Tomi Lahren also suggested that the pictures weren't good enough to handle the situation amidst Mitch McConnell's absence.
Besides Concha, co-host Tomi Lahren also suggested during Saturday's show that the pictures weren't good enough to handle the situation.
“I don’t know if that’s quite fair to the American people, though, that unelected staffers are running the show for Senator Mitch McConnell,” she said. “I think you’ve gotta play it fair here.”
The former Republican Senate leader has notably already missed out on 60 votes in Congress since his hospitalization.
This includes votes on everything from a war powers resolution on Iran and policies on housing affordability to even the confirmation of new Attorney General Todd Blanche.
McConnell Released a Statement in Early August
Mitch McConnell released a statement in early August confirming that he wouldn’t be back in active service anytime soon.
Last month, McConnell released a statement confirming that he wouldn’t be back in active service soon.
He explained, “On the advice of my doctors, I’ll maintain an intensive regimen of physical therapy from home during the state work period, and I’ll continue to engage with my staff and colleagues on important Senate business.”
Meanwhile, Kentucky Republican Rep. James Comer said on the show, “I certainly hope to see him in the Senate in the next few weeks. And if he’s not, there’ll be a reason why, and the senator will be able [to] explain that to the American people. But hopefully he’ll [be] back in two weeks.”
McConnell’s chief of staff, Terry Carmack, has also been spotted at his Washington, D.C., townhouse multiple times, but has reportedly refused to answer any questions about the senator’s health status.
