McConnell Dramatically Breaks Silence in Return After 92 Days

Photo Illustration by Thomas Levinson/The Daily Beast/Reuters An extremely frail Mitch McConnell in a wheelchair returned to the halls of Capitol Hill with a joke after vanishing for three months.

The 84-year-old senator’s dramatic return came as the Senate returned from a five-week recess, but McConnell was gone for 92 days.

The senator, still seated in the wheelchair, gave a brief statement to reporters just outside the Senate chamber on Monday before being wheeled to the Senate floor.

“I must admit, after two years, two decades after dodging your questions, I wasn’t sure how many of you would be here today,” McConnell joked to reporters.

“So I’m glad to see you.

Time to get back to work to finish the job for this Congress.

I’m here to work on the farm bill.” He also mentioned focusing on NATO and “backing up our good friends who are totally in the fight against the Russians.” The senator did not answer any questions about his absence, and reporters were not allowed to take video of his comments.

The Kentucky senator was accompanied by his chief of staff Terry Carmack along with communications director Stephanie Penn and another staffer as he arrived outside the chamber.

Once rolled onto the floor of the Senate, he was parked just off the aisle.

His aides stood close by, and Carmack periodically leaned forward to speak quietly to him.

Multiple senators stepped up to greet him, including GOP Sens.

Roger Wicker, James Lankford, John Curtis and Bernie Moreno.

Democratic Sen.

Dick Durbin of Illinois also approached him with a smile and could be heard loudly saying, “Welcome back,” as he shook McConnell’s ghostly hand.