Mitch McConnell

Speculation swirled about the health of Kentucky Sen. Mitch McConnell after news outlets reported he had been in the hospital since June 14 and his aides would not say why. The Senate’s top two Republicans said they had long phone conversations with McConnell on Tuesday but they did not provide details of his condition or prognosis.

Drew Sheneman leads this week’s editorial cartoon gallery with his view that Republicans are shielding McConnell’s health status from the public. Bill Bramhall’s psychic conducts a seance to contact the senator, riffing on viral rumors that he is brain dead. Joel Pett’s Uncle Sam shares a room in the ICU with McConnell, “the guy who put me in here” by refusing to impeach President Donald Trump after the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot. Jack Ohman illustrates the phone call between Senate Majority Leader John Thune and McConnell as decidedly one way.

The week’s other big story was the elimination of the U.S. Men’s National Team from the World Cup soccer tournament after Trump intervened to overturn a key player’s suspension. The team lost to Belgium 4-1. Bramhall shows a history book showing Trump a red card. Nick Anderson’s scoreboard shows the U.S. beating Belgium 5-4, prompting fans to say, “Trump must have called FIFA again.” Sheneman draws Trump and FIFA as pigs wallowing in the muck together.

Editorial cartoonists also commented on the implosion of Maine Senate candidate Graham Platner’s campaign after an ex-girlfriend said he had sexually assaulted her; the continuing conflict with Iran; and the various ways Americans marked the 250th anniversary of the nation’s founding.

Cartoons were drawn by Nick Anderson, Bill Bramhall, Phil Hands, David Horsey, Pedro X. Molina, Jack Ohman, Joel Pett, Drew Sheneman, Scott Stantis and Joey Weatherford of Tribune Content Agency; and Steve Breen, Mike Luckovich and Michael Ramirez of Creators Syndicate.