The Chicks Just Cracked A Clever Joke About Mitch McConnell Amid His Ongoing Absence From Congress—And We're Cackling

The Chicks frontwoman Natalie Maines went viral after she made a joke about Kentucky Republican Senator Mitch McConnell amid his continuing absence from Congress due to health issues.

The 84-year-old—who chairs the Senate Rules Committee—was found unconscious at his Washington residence in June, prompting an advanced life support response. Last month, his office said his condition was improving.

In a July 13 social media post, McConnell said he had been hospitalized after a fall that left him "briefly unconscious" and revealed he was also recovering from a mild case of pneumonia. He included a photo of himself in a hospital bed, but the image only intensified speculation online, with some users claiming it had been generated or manipulated using artificial intelligence.

McConnell's aides have declined to say whether they have recently spoken with him, adding to speculation about his condition. The Daily Beast reported that a semi-permanent security detail remains stationed at George Washington University Hospital, where McConnell continues to receive treatment.

Speaking at the beginning of the band's set at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Atlantic City, N.J., Maines said:

“We’re the Chicks, and we’d like everyone to know Mitch McConnell is just fine. He was just backstage doing our hair.”

You can hear what she said in the video below.

The Chicks are of course no stranger to speaking out—they've been regularly targeted for backlash since 2003, when Maines criticized then-President George W. Bush and the looming Iraq invasion—and people appreciated their sense of humor.

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The Chicks' joke came as Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear demanded McConnell prove his "capacity to serve" or resign.

Last week, McConnell's office released a statement saying he hopes to return to Kentucky soon but has not yet been medically cleared to leave the rehabilitation facility where he is recovering. The statement also included an update from the Office of the Attending Physician, which oversees the medical care of members of Congress.

In a letter, Beshear said he is "addressing this letter to Senator McConnell under the assumption that he is capable of reading and responding verbally, and not incapacitated by means of consciousness or cognition."

Beshear said that if McConnell does not respond, he will urge Senate Majority Leader John Thune to investigate the senator's condition and, if appropriate, begin the process of replacing him. Beshear also sent Thune a separate letter formally requesting the same action.