Just three days after 84-year-old Kentucky Republican Mitch McConnell was rushed to the hospital, his wife, former Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao, flew to Beijing and met with Chinese Vice President Han Zheng.
Chao has since returned to the U.S. while her husband has entered his third week of hospitalization.
But we now know why Chao did not return from her overseas trip despite reports of grave health news surrounding her husband.
A spokesperson for Chao told Fox News that her husband’s health condition was not grave enough for her to cancel the trip.
“The secretary was on a long-planned trip in China to support her family’s philanthropic endeavors,” the spokesperson said.
“During the trip, she met with a number of people, including the U.S. ambassador. The Senator’s health did not warrant an immediate return to the U.S.”
Chao left for China on June 12. On June 14, McConnell was hospitalized, and today, little else is known about his current condition.
“Senator McConnell appreciates the outpouring of support he’s receiving while he continues his recovery in the hospital,” a McConnell spokesperson said.
“The Senator continues to improve, and is working closely with his staff on Kentucky and Senate matters while the Senate is out of session.
Meanwhile, Senate Republican leaders continue to deflect rumors surrounding McConnell’s health.
The Horn News reported earlier today that at least two sitting senators say they’ve spoken to McConnell by phone after numerous reports that he was “brain dead.”
A spokesperson for Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) said he had spoken with McConnell by phone on Monday and that the two had a “lengthy and substantive conversation that covered a variety of topics, including national security,” according to The Associated Press.
Wyoming Sen. John Barrasso, the No. 2 Senate Republican, also claimed to have had a 20-minute conversation with McConnell on Tuesday, according to spokeswoman Kate Noyes.
“Their phone call lasted roughly 20 minutes. They caught up about the latest news impacting Senate races, the Graham Platner scandal, and the recent Supreme Court ruling on coordinated spending limits,” Noyes said.
“They also discussed the Senate’s July work period, including the need to pass the NDAA and confirm President Trump’s nominee for Director of National Intelligence,” she continued.
“Senator McConnell was fully engaged and is eager to get back to the Senate.”
Chao was born in Taiwan and immigrated to the United States at the age of 8. She has served in every Republican administration since Ronald Reagan, most recently as Trump’s Secretary of Transportation. Her family’s shipping company has significant business with China.