This would make no sense .... Why would he do this now?
The reason I joked about Trump visiting McConnell is because the exact nature of McConnell’s condition matters. It is not just about whether he is hospitalized. It is about whether there is a vacancy, and when that vacancy might occur.
August 3 matters because the timing could determine what happens next.
Under Kentucky’s current law, if McConnell’s Senate seat becomes vacant, the governor does not simply appoint a replacement. Kentucky changed the process so a Senate vacancy is filled through a special election rather than a gubernatorial appointment.
That matters because Andy Beshear is the governor, and under the old system a governor would have had a role in selecting an interim senator. That is no longer the case.
So the question is not just “who replaces McConnell?” The question is whether the seat is temporarily vacant, how quickly the special election process moves, and where that leaves Senate representation during an important legislative period.
The date itself is not magic. It is about deadlines, timing, and what happens if a Senate seat opens at a critical moment.
