Mitch McConnell's proof of life photo was supposed to silence the internet — instead, it poured gasoline on the fire.
After weeks of wild rumors claiming the longtime senator was brain-dead, secretly dead, or otherwise hidden from the public, his office released an image Sunday meant to reassure everyone McConnell was fine.
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But it sparked a fresh conspiracy all its own.
Countless people insisted the photo was either A. I.
-generated, photoshopped, or recycled from years ago.
Internet sleuths pointed out all sorts of strange things going on in the image, but a source familiar with the situation tells TMZ the photo is real.
As TMZ previously reported, McConnell finally broke his silence Sunday, revealing he was hospitalized after a fall, briefly lost consciousness, and later developed a mild case of pneumonia.
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He said he did not suffer a heart attack, stroke, concussion, or broken bones.
The photo shows McConnell in a button-down shirt and jeans, smiling as he sits in a geriatric chair beside his wife, Elaine Chao, while holding a newspaper.
Some folks claim the image looks A. I.
-generated.
Others pointed to a 2023 photo where McConnell appeared to be wearing the same checkered shirt — claiming the latest picture had simply been recycled.
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It looks like McConnell has the print edition of Sunday's Washington Post sports section on his lap ...
but people are pointing to a strange fold in the page beneath his index finger.
The skepticism didn't come out of nowhere.
McConnell's extended absence from public view — after he was found unconscious and rushed to the hospital, as TMZ first reported — fueled weeks of increasingly bizarre online theories about his condition.
The proof of life snap even became parody material ... Jimmy Kimmel jumped into the frenzy by posting his own spoof version on Instagram.
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Instead of killing the conspiracy theories, it gave them a whole new life.
