July 08, 2026 4:37 PM ET Republican Kentucky Rep. Brett Guthrie insinuated that Republican Kentucky Senator Mitch McConnell — absent from public for weeks following a medical emergency — isn’t even in Washington, D.C. In a video posted to X by Courier Journal state politics reporter Keely Doll, Guthrie said he has contacted people on Mitch McConnell’s staff and exchanged text messages with the senator, but has not spoken with him directly by phone. (RELATED: Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear Demands Mitch McConnell Publicly Disclose Health Status)Guthrie added that he understood McConnell had spoken with John Thune “yesterday, or the day before,” as well as John Barrasso and others. Congressman Brett Guthrie said he’s texted with Senator Mitch McConnell but has not spoken with him on the phone. “