Staff Reports
In a shocking turn of events, Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin’s undisclosed hospitalizations in December and January have sparked an internal investigation by the Pentagon official watchdog. It appears that Austin and his closest staff members failed to inform key national security leaders about his prostate cancer diagnosis and subsequent hospital procedures. This lack of transparency and communication raises serious concerns about the chain of command and the trustworthiness of the Department of Defense.
Now, I don’t know about you, but if I were the Deputy Secretary of Defense or someone in the White House, I would certainly want to know if my boss was undergoing surgery or experiencing complications. But apparently, Austin and his team thought it would be best to keep everyone in the dark. Well, that’s not how a functioning government operates, folks. We rely on our leaders to be open and honest with us, especially when it comes to their health.
Pentagon Watchdog To Investigate Lloyd Austin’s Undisclosed Disappearance https://t.co/cWaq6aLwyn
— Daily Caller (@DailyCaller) January 11, 2024
It’s absolutely mind-boggling that Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks and the White House were completely unaware of Austin’s hospitalizations until days later. This is a breach of protocol and a failure of leadership. We need transparency and accountability in our government, not secret hospital visits and hidden procedures.
The Department of Defense’s Inspector General, Robert Storch, has promised to investigate this matter thoroughly. He will be examining the roles, processes, procedures, responsibilities, and actions related to Austin’s hospitalizations to determine if the Department’s policies are sufficient. And let me tell you, if they’re not, heads better roll. We can’t have our Secretary of Defense keeping important information from his own team. It’s a matter of national security!
Lawmakers and experts are rightly concerned about the potential disruption to the chain of command caused by Austin’s secrecy. When the leader of our military and national defense apparatus is not forthcoming about his health, it creates a power vacuum and erodes trust. How can we have confidence in our defense system if we can’t even trust our own Defense Secretary?
To make matters worse, Austin’s chief of staff has ordered an internal review to find out how he transferred some of his authorities without disclosing his hospitalization. You would think that someone in his position would understand the importance of transparency and communicating with key officials. But apparently, that’s too much to ask.
The White House has also ordered a review of procedures for delegating powers in case department secretaries are unable to perform their duties. It’s sad that it took Austin’s undisclosed hospitalizations for them to realize that maybe they need a better plan in place. But better late than never, I suppose.
The uncertainty surrounding where communication broke down is deeply troubling. It seems that even Chief of Staff Kelly Magsamen, who knew about Austin’s ICU admission, was unable to properly notify others due to her own illness. This lack of coordination and transparency is simply unacceptable.
The bottom line is that we deserve better from our leaders. We deserve transparency, honesty, and open communication. We rely on the Department of Defense to protect our nation, and that starts with having a Secretary who is forthright about his health and whereabouts. Let’s hope the Inspector General’s investigation gets to the bottom of this and holds those responsible accountable. Our national security depends on it.
