Sen. Chris Murphy Leaves Hospital After Brain Bleed

Sen. Chris Murphy, 53, has been discharged from Johns Hopkins Hospital following treatment for a small bleed in the thalamus region of his brain. Murphy confirmed his release in a statement, noting that doctors are encouraged by his progress.

Murphy experienced numbness in his arm on Saturday afternoon while attending his son’s hockey game. He called 911 out of an abundance of caution. Allison Herwitt, the senator’s chief of staff, confirmed the incident in a statement released Sunday.

The senator described the diagnosis as a small hemorrhagic stroke. Dr. Jose Suarez, chief of neurosciences critical care at Johns Hopkins, said in a statement that Murphy has shown tremendous progress. Suarez added that the medical team expects the senator to make a full recovery after rehabilitation.

Murphy will spend several weeks at a rehabilitation center to ensure a serious and timely return to work. He stated that he remains engaged with his team remotely. His staff continues to handle legislative priorities and constituent services to keep the office’s work uninterrupted.

The Connecticut Democrat is the fourth U.S. senator to suffer a stroke in recent years. Sen. Ben Ray Lujan of New Mexico and Sen. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania both experienced strokes in 2022. Sen. Chris Van Hollen of Maryland also suffered a minor stroke that same year.

Murphy recently traveled overseas to assess damage from the Iran War. He stated that the administration is covering up the extent of the destruction. During that trip, he said he was blocked from seeing a key American air base in the Middle East. He characterized the administration’s potential war plan as insane and warned it would lead to devastating escalation.

National data indicates a rising trend in strokes among younger adults. A study released last month in the American Academy of Neurology found that strokes among adults ages 20 to 54 nearly doubled over three decades. Risk factors include high blood pressure, high cholesterol, atrial fibrillation, diabetes, and obesity.

Stroke remains the fifth leading cause of death in the U.S., with 795,000 cases recorded annually. The American Medical Association identifies it as a major cause of long-term disability. In Connecticut, state health data reported 8,914 stroke or transient ischemic attack cases in 2025.

Murphy expressed gratitude for the support his family received. He requested continued respect for their privacy during his recovery. He extended thanks to the doctors and staff at Johns Hopkins for their care.