Mitch McConnell's absence looms large over annual Kentucky picnic

+ Politics Mitch McConnell's absence looms large over annual Kentucky picnic August 4, 20264:41 AM ET Heard on Morning Edition By Sylvia Goodman Mitch McConnell's absence looms large over annual Kentucky picnic Listen &middot; 3:43 3:43 Transcript Toggle more options Download Embed Embed "> <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/nx-s1-5918587/nx-s1-9874224" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player"> Transcript A church picnic this year drew voters from across the state of Kentucky to eat mutton, play bingo &mdash; and ask questions about Sen.

+ Sponsor Message Transcript STEVE INSKEEP, HOST: Senator Mitch McConnell missed a western Kentucky political event - the annual Fancy Farm picnic. McConnell normally would have appeared before a big crowd, but he's recovering from a fall. Kentucky Public Radio's Sylvia Goodman was able to attend and spoke with voters about what they think of their senior U.S. senator.

+ SYLVIA GOODMAN, BYLINE: The annual political picnic in Fancy Farm is an event that McConnell has attended for decades and helped convert from a picnic where Democrats dominated to one where they are praised for showing up. And Republican party officials in west Kentucky attribute that massive change-up to one Mitch McConnell. (SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING) UNIDENTIFIED PERSON #1: If you're thankful for Senator McConnell, can you please stand up and give some applause? UNIDENTIFIED PERSON #2: Yeah. (APPLAUSE) GOODMAN: That was at the GOP breakfast the morning of the picnic, where party members gave the absent senator a 20-second standing ovation before playing a tribute to McConnell at Fancy Farm over the course of his four-decade-long career. There were the early days in the '80s... (SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING) MITCH MCCONNELL: As long as I'm in the Senate, Kentucky will have a voice instead of San Francisco and Martha's Vineyard. GOODMAN: ...All the way to 2025. (SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING) MCCONNELL: And I'm so happy that you can't find a Democrat with a flashlight anymore down here. (LAUGHTER) GOODMAN: But McConnell missed what would have been his 31st Fancy Farm this year, and it's certainly not because of Senate business. The 84-year-old said in an email statement a week in advance he wouldn't make it because he's still recovering from the fall and bout of pneumonia that landed and kept him in the hospital for several weeks. That absence has led to wild speculation, internet memes and increasingly insistent calls for transparency. As speakers took to the stage at Fancy Farm, the traditionally noisy hecklers broke out in their own chant. (SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING) UNIDENTIFIED CROWD: (Chanting) Where's Mitch? Where's Mitch? GOODMAN: McConnell is set to leave office at the end of his term and the race to replace him is in full swing. Some western Kentuckians, like Democrat Kolt Boddy (ph), were adamant that McConnell owes his constituents answers. KOLT BODDY: You feel like you don't have to answer to the people because you feel like you're sort of seeing a coronation every time you go up for a reelection. You do still work for the people, and you need to answer to them. GOODMAN: Others, like Republican Bree Snow (ph), says she respects his privacy, but that Kentuckians need their full complement of congressmen. BREE SNOW: We need someone in that position doing the work. But I would hate to say anything ugly about him. GOODMAN: Fancy Farm native Sarah Darnell (ph) says she almost always skips the political speaking part of the picnic, heading straight for the barbecue and bingo. But even she wants to know what is going on with Mitch McConnell. SARAH DARNELL: Some reporters should try to barge in... GOODMAN: Oh, man. DARNELL: ...And see if he's still alive, or if he's on life support, or if he's really sitting there with his wife reading the paper (laughter). GOODMAN: Democratic Governor Andy Beshear has repeatedly called on McConnell to provide proof of his fitness to serve or resign, saying in one letter he sent in late July that, quote, "Kentuckians are just asking you to be honest." McConnell's popularity has sunk significantly in his home state, driven in part by his feuds with President Donald Trump. GARY WALTERS: It's almost like McConnell's kind of a Democrat in sheep's clothing, like a RINO. GOODMAN: That's Gary Walters (ph), one of the Republicans who drove in from Louisville to Fancy Farm. He said he's watched McConnell's career since before he was senator, but not voting with Trump all the time erased his conservative cred among the president's die-hard fans. McConnell has so far rebuffed any interview requests but says in emailed statements he is continuing to improve and hopes to return to Senate business. His term ends on January 3. I'm Sylvia Goodman in Fancy Farm, Kentucky. (SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "MY OLD KENTUCKY HOME, GOODNIGHT") JOHN PRINE: (Singing) We sing one song for my old Kentucky home, for my old Kentucky home far away. Copyright &copy; 2026 NPR. All rights reserved. Visit our website terms of use and permissions pages at www.npr.org for further information. Accuracy and availability of NPR transcripts may vary. Transcript text may be revised to correct errors or match updates to audio. Audio on npr.org may be edited after its original broadcast or publication. The authoritative record of NPR’s programming is the audio record. 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