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Worrying Sign Spotted as Mitch McConnell Finally Reemerges After 92 Days

The 84-year-old’s return to public life fails to quell speculation about his health.

Mitch McConnell was spotted with a large, concerning bruise on his hand in the 84-year-old senator’s first public appearance in 92 days.

There has been rampant speculation about the health of the Kentucky Republican, who had disappeared from view since being hospitalized in mid-June after apparently losing consciousness following a fall.

On Monday, McConnell was wheeled into the Capitol from his D.C. home, where he had been recovering after his discharge from hospital, and told reporters it was time to “finish the job.”

McConnell looked particularly frail and thin in his first public appearance in weeks, with his speech reported to be “slower” than it once was. He was also seen with a dark bruise covering most of his left hand, an ailment that drew comparisons to the mysterious bruises that frequently appear on President Donald Trump’s hands.

Conspiracy theories about McConnell, including claims that he’d actually died, were allowed to run wild as the senator’s office spent weeks not disclosing any meaningful details about why he was hospitalized or what treatment he was receiving.

The dark bruise on McConnell’s hand, as well as a bandage on his right wrist, prompted further speculation about McConnell’s recovery.

“The left hand. Badly bruised, multiple and layered. IVs that run concurrently with replacement required every 72 hours, and heprin push to keep the IV open stands out as the red flag it is,” one X user who claims to be a former medical professional wrote.

Trump has also spent more than 18 months appearing in public with mysterious dark bruises on his hands, which the 80-year-old president has often tried to hide with blotches of miscolored makeup.

Former White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt repeatedly insisted the unsightly bruises are simply the result of Trump “meeting more Americans and shaking more hands on a daily basis than any other president in history,” combined with his daily aspirin use.

However, the White House’s desperate defense does not explain how Trump has also developed bruises on his left hand, which he does not use to shake hands.

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Social media users noted the worrying bruise on McConnell after his return to Capitol Hill and compared it to Trump’s mysterious ailment.

“I see Mitch McConnell has been shaking hands with so many people it has turned them black,” one X user wrote while sharing an image of McConnell and his bruised hand.

“McConnell needs Trump’s hand makeup artist,” added another.

McConnell was in a wheelchair for the entirety of his return to the Senate. He also wore orthopedic running shoes, and reporters were not allowed to film as the 84-year-old spoke to them on Monday.

Terry Carmack, McConnell’s longtime camera-shy aide, who is on track to earn more than $226,000 this year, was also constantly by his side and periodically leaned forward to speak quietly to the senator on the Senate floor. McConnell cast a Senate vote on Monday for the first time in months.

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In a statement released on his behalf, McConnell said his recovery had been a “long and often frustrating process, and the lingering effects of childhood polio haven’t made it any easier.”

“I’m still not quite back to 100 percent, but I’ve assured Leader Thune that, as I continue with physical therapy on the advice of my doctors, I will do my best to be present for tough votes when our Conference needs me,” McConnell added.

The Daily Beast has contacted Mitch McConnell’s office for comment.

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