One would think that a lifelong spouse would be at the other’s side when they were suffering from a major medical incident, but that isn’t the case, apparently, regarding former GOP Senate Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky and wife Elaine Chao.
The latter, who served as Transportation Secretary during President Donald Trump’s first term, has been making what some view as bizarre trips overseas while her husband remains hospitalized for, reportedly, a serious heart condition.
On June 12, just two days before McConnell was hospitalized, Shanghai Jiao Tong University announced that Chao had visited the campus, marking her 12th trip to the university over the past 45 years.
During the visit, Chao and her father donated several historical photographs to the university’s Ruth Mulan Chu Chao Memorial Hall, which is named in honor of Chao’s late mother, according to the university, WLKY reported.
The university said the Chao family has maintained longstanding ties to the institution through decades of philanthropic support, including contributions that helped fund Mulan Hall.
On June 16, two days after McConnell’s hospitalization, the Chinese People’s Institute of Foreign Affairs announced that Chao met with its president, Wu Ken, in Beijing, WLKY reported.
The organization said the two discussed U.S.-China relations and “other issues of common interest.”
The following day, the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in the United States announced that Chao met with Chinese Vice President Han Zheng during her visit.
Chinese officials did not indicate that Chao’s trip involved any official U.S. government business.
According to the embassy, the meeting focused on strengthening relations between China and the United States.
Meanwhile, the Daily Beast reported that Chao traveled to China just three days after McConnell reportedly had a cardiac arrest and underwent CPR.
The DB also reported that Chao met with the Chinese vice president, a largely ceremonial position.
Photographs published by Chinese state media show Chao meeting with Han Zheng on June 17.
According to Chinese officials, the two discussed efforts to strengthen relations between China and the United States, though Chao has no authority to negotiate anything on behalf of the U.S. government.
The timing of the visit has drawn additional attention following McConnell’s hospitalization on June 14.
Earlier this week, emergency dispatch audio first published by journalist Desirée Townsend indicated that first responders were dispatched to McConnell’s Washington, D.C., residence for a reported cardiac arrest.
McConnell’s office has confirmed that the Kentucky senator remains hospitalized but has released few additional details about his condition.
His staff has not publicly addressed his prognosis or who is overseeing day-to-day operations in his Senate office during his absence.
“Senator McConnell appreciates the outpouring of support he’s receiving while he continues his recovery in the hospital,” an emailed statement from his office said, per the DB.
“The Senator continues to improve, and is working closely with his staff on Kentucky and Senate matters while the Senate is out of session,” the email added.
Dr. Jeremy Faust, an emergency physician at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and an assistant professor at Harvard Medical School, has cautioned against drawing conclusions without additional medical information but said that patients who require CPR following a cardiac arrest often face a prolonged recovery.
He noted that many survivors are initially unable to independently care for their basic daily needs, underscoring the potentially serious nature of such medical emergencies, the Daily Beast noted.
“If it does work and we can restart their heart and their heart is beating spontaneously, that begins a long road to recovery, even for the healthiest of patients,” Faust said on Thursday night’s edition of Erin Burnett Outfront on CNN.
“So when you have a person who is elderly and who has other underlying medical conditions, it‘s really concerning,” he added.
