Mitch McConnell Finally Responds To His Concerning Hand Photo

Ever since he appeared with a seemingly bruised upper lip and hands in late October 2020, people have been wondering if something is wrong with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell. Although many people have tried to diagnose McConnell's purple hands on social media, the Republican leader claims there is nothing wrong with him. But how do you ignore what appears to be his seemingly heavily bruised — and bandaged — hands and lip? Something must have happened, even if it's nothing to worry about. 

The 78-year-old Republican has had health issues before. Per CNN, McConnell survived polio as a kid and has been a proponent of following public safety guidelines during the coronavirus pandemic. He had a triple bypass surgery in 2003, and in 2019, he fractured his shoulder when he tripped and fell at his home. With all of this medical history, health professionals on social media have tried to figure out what the bruised hands and lip could be.

As you could imagine, people had a lot to say about Mitch McConnell's bruised and bandaged hands. Although it's all but impossible to really diagnose someone from afar — let alone a picture — that didn't stop some on social media from offering their very unscientific opinions. On Oct. 23, 2020, journalist Amy Siskind tweeted, "Whatever happened to McConnell, happened recently. In photos on 10/15, his hands look normal. On 10/20 he tried to hide his hands in his pockets for most photos, and the photos that show his hands show bandages on both and deep bruising of some kind."

A nurse responded to the tweet saying, "My guess – he is on blood thinners, he appears to have remnants of polio, which resulted in a fall. He has contusions on upper lip and chin and quite possibly hands are bruised due to trying to break the fall – it would be interesting to see his knees." That seemed to be the general consensus among people on social media, but until McConnell's team issues an official statement, it's hard to know what really happened.

The senator himself responded to questions about his health, but the response is less than satisfying if you really want a full picture of McConnell's health. 

When asked by reporters if he was being treated by a doctor, Mitch McConnell's team would not provide any clear answers, according to CNN. The senator himself added that there were "no concerns" about his health and that there was "of course not" anything in his medical record that voters should be worried about. While it may seem like a small thing, McConnell is up for re-election in Kentucky, where early voting began in mid-October.

Marisa McNee, a spokesperson for Kentucky Democratic Party told BuzzFeed News on Oct. 22, 2020, "It's understandable that Senator McConnell might not want to discuss questions about his health so close to an election. But as Senate Majority Leader, he is a public figure which requires more disclosure and transparency than just the average private person." There is no law mandating political candidates, even those running for president, to release their health records, though it is often common practice, per the Los Angeles Times.

Hopefully, there really is "no concern" for voters when it comes to McConnell's bruised hands and lips.