Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear is raising new questions about Sen. Mitch McConnell’s health after revealing that he received calls suggesting the longtime Republican senator had died during his weeks-long hospitalization.

Beshear, a Democrat, made the stunning claim in an interview with Katie Couric. He said the lack of public updates about McConnell’s condition led to growing concern in Kentucky, especially as the 84-year-old senator remained out of public view for weeks.

“It had been a month before anything had been put out, not even an official statement from Senator McConnell,” Beshear said. “In fact, I’d gotten two calls from different agencies — not state agencies — suggesting he’s passed.”

The calls came before McConnell’s team finally released a photo of him from his hospital bed on Sunday.

In the image, McConnell was seen smiling next to his wife, Elaine Chao, while holding the morning edition of The Washington Post’s sports section. The photo appeared to be an effort to quiet rumors that the senator was dead or brain-dead.

But it did not end the questions.

McConnell’s office said the senator had not suffered “a heart attack or a stroke,” despite a 911 call that reportedly mentioned cardiac arrest. According to the statement, McConnell was taken to the hospital after a fall and was “briefly unconscious.”

The statement also said he later had to deal with a mild case of pneumonia while recovering.

McConnell acknowledged the limited public updates in a written statement, saying older generations are often reluctant to share health vulnerabilities.

“You all know how folks of my generation often hesitate to share the vulnerability that comes with growing older,” McConnell said. “Even in the public eye, I feel that same instinct — I can’t help it.”

That explanation was not enough for Beshear.

The Kentucky governor said McConnell owes his constituents more information, especially after missing weeks of Senate votes.

“When you’ve been in a hospital for a month, and you’ve missed all the votes, which is your job, you owe your boss, like anybody else out there who works, an explanation of what’s been going on and when you’ll get back,” Beshear said Thursday.

He added that while every person deserves some privacy around their health, elected officials have a different responsibility to the public.

“Everyone deserves a level of privacy on their health, but when you take on these jobs, when you represent the people of the Commonwealth of Kentucky, you give up some of that,” Beshear said. “That’s what comes with the territory.”

The scrutiny has also extended to Chao, the former transportation secretary and McConnell’s wife.

Chao, 73, has faced questions over a trip to China during McConnell’s hospitalization. She was also seen this week leaving the rehabilitation facility where McConnell was recovering.

Photos showed her wearing a mask, dark sunglasses, and a long, heavy-looking trench coat as Washington, D.C., faced intense summer heat.

McConnell’s staff has declined to provide details about the rehabilitation facility or what kind of treatment he is receiving there.

The secrecy has only fueled speculation.

Some of the loudest calls for answers have come from MAGA figures, including Republican Sen. Ron Johnson of Wisconsin. Johnson appeared to suggest the hospital photo released by McConnell’s team might have been old, though he quickly walked back the claim when pressed during a live NewsNation appearance.

Republican leaders have been more cautious.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune said he had spoken with McConnell and described him as still engaged in Senate business while recovering. CNN commentator Scott Jennings, a longtime McConnell ally, has also said he spoke with the senator.

Still, the questions have not gone away.

For many critics, the issue is not just whether McConnell is alive or recovering. It is why one of the most powerful Republicans in Washington has not released a video statement or given Kentuckians a clearer update himself.

Beshear’s comments are likely to add even more pressure on McConnell’s office to explain what happened, how serious his condition really was, and when Kentucky’s senior senator plans to return to work.