Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., defended former Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell on Tuesday, saying the Kentucky senator remains mentally sharp despite physical challenges that have kept him away from the Capitol for much of the summer.

In an interview with MS Now's Peter Alexander, Tillis contrasted McConnell's situation with questions about former President Joe Biden's ability to carry out his duties.

"The difference between the Biden situation and the Mitch situation is I've had conversations with Mitch," Tillis said.

Tillis said McConnell's physical condition should not be confused with his ability to remain engaged in political and national security matters.

"That man's brain is as sharp as it ever was," Tillis said. "His body's failing him because he's had a lifelong struggle with polio."

Tillis described a recent conversation with McConnell in which the senator spent little time discussing his own health before turning to foreign policy and Senate operations. According to Tillis, McConnell quickly began discussing what the United States could do regarding Ukraine and how Republicans could preserve the Senate filibuster.

The filibuster generally requires 60 votes to advance legislation in the Senate, giving the minority party significant leverage and often requiring bipartisan support for major legislation.

McConnell returned to the Senate on Sept. 14 after nearly three months away and cast his first vote since June. He appeared outside the Senate chamber in a wheelchair and acknowledged that his recovery was still incomplete.

The former Republican leader was hospitalized June 14 after falling at his Washington home. McConnell later said he briefly lost consciousness and was treated for mild pneumonia. He left a rehabilitation center Aug. 6 and continued his recovery at home.

McConnell has also said that complications from childhood polio have made his recovery more difficult. He pledged to continue physical therapy and said he would attend important Senate votes when Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., needed his support.

His extended absence and limited public appearances have drawn renewed attention to his health and ability to participate in Senate business. McConnell also experienced two highly publicized incidents in 2023 when he appeared to freeze while speaking to reporters.

McConnell's health has also renewed broader debates about the age of elected officials and congressional term limits. A 2023 Pew Research Center survey found that 87% of Americans supported congressional term limits, while 79% favored maximum ages for federal elected officials. The survey included 8,480 adults and had a margin of error of plus or minus 1.5 percentage points.

McConnell, first elected to the Senate in 1984, served as Senate Republican leader from 2007 until January 2025, making him the longest-serving Senate party leader in American history. Thune succeeded him as Republican leader.

McConnell announced in February 2025 that he would not seek reelection. His current Senate term is scheduled to end Jan. 3.