Prank-style missing person posters featuring Senator Mitch McConnell have appeared around Washington, D.C., amid his prolonged absence from Congress. The posters, distributed by the Save America Movement (SAM), a citizen-led advocacy group, depict McConnell in a hospital bed and describe him as 'turtle-like' and 'known for blocking something in the Senate.'
McConnell, 84, has not cast a vote or appeared in the Senate since mid-June, when he was hospitalized due to a fall and a mild case of pneumonia. In a statement released by his office, McConnell said he is 'still working hard to get back to my full schedule of work in the Senate and in Kentucky, keeping up with intense physical therapy per my doctors' orders.'
The posters, which include a recent photo of McConnell in the hospital, were put up on July 29. SAM, which describes itself as an anti-Trump group focused on defending democracy, stated in a Substack post that McConnell's situation 'has gotten absurd.' The group claims that for more than a month, McConnell has not represented the four and a half million people who elected him.
Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear, a Democrat, has called on McConnell to 'directly and verbally address the people of Kentucky and provide proof of your capacity to serve, or resign.' McConnell's absence has drawn criticism from some lawmakers, though no formal action has been taken to address his prolonged leave.