Pentagon Chief Faces Scrutiny Over Secretive Hospital Stay

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Facts

  • US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin is reportedly facing intense scrutiny over keeping Pres. Joe Biden and senior members of the White House uninformed about the extent of his multi-day hospitalization at the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center last week.1
  • He was admitted to the medical center on New Year's Day, reportedly due to 'complications following a recent elective medical procedure.' However, according to sources, Biden wasn't informed of his hospitalization until Thursday evening.2
  • The 70-year-old Austin — who is second in the chain of command for the US military after Biden — accepted responsibility for the delay in the notification. He stated that he could have done a better job to ensure that the public was appropriately informed.3
  • The Pentagon stated on Sunday that Austin, who remains in the hospital but resumed his full duties on Friday, was rushed to intensive care about one week after returning home on Dec. 23, with Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. CQ Brown Jr. being notified on Jan. 2.4
  • Questioned why this hospitalization — which included four days in the ICU — was kept secret, Pentagon Press Secretary Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder claimed that this was 'an evolving situation' in which they had to assess a variety of variables, including Austin's privacy.5
  • Sen. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), the highest-ranking Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee, accused the Department of Defense of deliberately withholding Austin's medical condition for days, calling it to provide lawmakers with a 'full accounting of the facts immediately.'6

Sources: 1CNN, 2Reuters, 3BBC News, 4Daily Caller, 5NBC and 6Associated Press.

Narratives

  • Republican narrative, as provided by FOX News. The Biden admin. had a major chain of command failure here. Amid tensions in the Middle East, it's unfathomable that Austin's hospitalization was hidden for at least three days. The Department of Defense must come clean about what exactly prevented one of the country's two National Command Authorities from carrying out his duties, especially when he is required to be present at a moment's notice to respond to any national security crisis. Congress must investigate this further.
  • Democratic narrative, as provided by Washington Post. Austin has taken full responsibility for not disclosing his condition sooner, and though he is still hospitalized, he has resumed his duties. There could be a myriad of reasons, including hospital space considerations and his privacy, as to why his absence was kept a secret. All details about his medical procedure, how serious it was, and how and when his responsibilities were delegated will be released as soon as possible. The Biden administration still has full confidence in its Secretary of Defense.

Predictions