(ConservativeInsider.org) – Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin was hospitalized on January 1st, 2024, but neither the public nor high-ranking officials were even informed that he was ill for days, leading to complaints about the lack of transparency from the Pentagon and the White House.
Austin had an elective procedure on December 22nd. On Monday, January 1st, Austin was taken by ambulance to Walter Reed after experiencing “severe pain” and admitted to the Intensive Care Unit. The Pentagon did not inform Congress or the public about Austin’s condition until the evening of Friday, January 5th.
Though a statement was released at 5:03 PM on Friday, it said that Austin was expected to return to work that day. However, as of 4:24 PM on Sunday, January 7th, Austin remained in the hospital.
The spokesman for the Pentagon, Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder, said at “no time was national security in jeopardy,” which begs the question of why neither the president nor the public were informed of Austin’s condition and hospital admittance. Members of the public have shared complaints on social media, and the Pentagon Press Association shared a statement in which they expressed “significant concerns” about the Department of Defense not telling the public or the press about Austin’s status.
Lawmakers have reacted to this lack of transparency from the Department of Defense, including Sen. Joni Ernst (R-IA), who said it was “absolutely unacceptable” for the Secretary of Defense to go missing without the public being informed. He emphasized this was especially outrageous considering there are wars going on in Gaza and Ukraine.
Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) called the situation “very disturbing” and said there needs to be a hearing so Congress can get some answers about why the situation unfolded as it did. Elise Stefanik, the House GOP Conference Chair, called for Austin to be fired for this lack of transparency.
The White House has stated that they will review the rules and procedures over the issue but said that Austin still has Biden’s confidence.
It has since been revealed that Austin was hospitalized and treated for prostate cancer and a severe infection.
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