U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin was hospitalized Monday, and the Biden Administration kept the matter under wraps all week, until Friday. The reason for the hospitalization was described as complications arising from an unspecified surgery.
Air Force Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder, the Pentagon’s press secretary, said Friday that it was not clear when Austin would be released from Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, but that he had resumed his duties as of Friday and is “recovering well.”
Austin, 70, is right below President Joe Biden, 81, in terms of military command structure. He is considered to be on duty 24-7, to respond to any national security situation.
His hospitalization came during a time when Biden was vacationing in the Bahamas. Joe and Jill Biden returned to the states on Tuesday, however.
According to Politico, the Pentagon did not tell President Biden or other top officials about Austin’s hospitalization for three days.
National security adviser Jake Sullivan and other senior White House aides didn’t know of Austin’s Jan. 1 hospitalization until the Defense Department sent over word Jan. 4, two U.S. officials told the publication. Sullivan informed Biden shortly after DOD’s Thursday notification.
The public was still in the dark about Austin when, on Thursday, a U.S. airstrike was conducted on the headquarters of an Iran-backed militia group in central Baghdad, killing a high-ranking militia member. The Thursday air strike fuels concerns that the Israel-Hamas war could spread to surrounding countries.
Update: Sec. Austin was in the intensive care unit while hospitalized, for an unknown amount of time and is still in the hospital on Saturday. Deputy Secretary Kathleen Hicks has assumed his duties; however, she was on vacation in Puerto Rico when Austin was admitted to Walter Reed.
Politico reported on Saturday that the news of Austin’s situation came as a shock to all White House staff, “as they were unaware the Pentagon boss was dealing with complications following an elective medical procedure.”
National Security Council staffers were surprised it took the Pentagon so long to let them know of Austin’s status. The Pentagon didn’t make the information public until Friday evening, notifying Congress about 15 minutes before releasing a public statement, Politico wrote.
“This should not have happened this way,” said one of the U.S. officials.
“In a Saturday statement after an earlier version of this story published, Austin said, ‘I could have done a better job ensuring the public was appropriately informed. I commit to doing better. But this is important to say: this was my medical procedure, and I take full responsibility for my decisions about disclosure,'” Politico reported.
Probably complications from his federal government sponsored “transition” surgery to “Full Vader”…
Remember the government lies and you can’t believe them.
That airstrike in Baghdad was probably authorized only because Austin was temporarily out of the picture. Also Obama’s Rasputin – Valerie Jarrett – and Susan Rice must have been vacationing in one of the millionaires’ playgrounds in the Caribbean, and were not able to veto it.
I would not at all be surprised if Darth Covid’s hospitalization had something to do with the consequences of him having been injected repeatedly with the mRNA clot shots. He is lucky (and we are unlucky) that he has survived them this long already.
The photo tells it all about this putz. One can almost hear the Dark Lord theme from Star Wars playing as he struts past his troops.
In this administration of physical and mental invalids, that one was hospitalized is for days without public knowledge is not only no surprise, it’s also better for the country when ANY of them are “out of service”. That photo is a classic illustration of our defense under ol Gropin Joe, where today’s badge of courage is doubled down face masks that also don’t accomplish anything…🤦♂️
Liposuction often has complications.
Idi Amin’s brother here definitely needs a bigger (DEI) medal, and many more of them, with a wider ribbon.
The single one he is wearing in the photo is not nearly enough third-world-worthy.
Jefferson, 🤣🤣🤣, thanks, I needed that!
Austin isn’t fit, qualified, or competent for command. As a spare for another Idi Amin movie? Probably.
He’s another woke, Affirmative Action idiot of the military, hand-picked ONLY because he’s black.
It wouldn’t be a surprise to discover that the inept Biden Administration didn’t notice that Austin was absent for the week. And the unfortunates under his command were likely praying that it would be permanent.
Was it from terminal embarrassment?
Watch your back, and what you eat and drink Lloyd, with all those operatives around you. One never knows what particular faction of the oligarchy they work for. Remember Ron Brown….
While the subject is newsworthy, this article is written to create an unwarranted impression that the chain of command was either broken or in danger of being broken and that is completely untrue.
Each person in the military chain of command from the President down to the lowest team leader has a appointed replacement.
In my opinion, MRAK has been stooping to lower standards of late and would be much more respected if they eased up on the ‘slant’ and stuck to hard factual writing without adding the spin.
So Bob, you think it’s ok that the president wasn’t notified that the defense secretary was in the ICU….You don’t think this is newsworthy. You are a very odd person.
Bullwinkle: I clearly began my comment by saying that I thought the subject was newsworthy. I have problems with the clear spin contained in the piece.
Bob, I myself never read or interpreted this story as suggesting or even hinting that there had been any break in the chain of command.
Nothing compels you to remain. I’m sure there are plenty places which have the spin you desire.
How odd, vets usually have animals recovering from surgery wear the cone the other way.
Good one!
You owe me a new keyboard.
Brilliant.
It’s always been like this in totalitarian regimes: Keep bad news a secret. Nothing to be gained by letting the people know.
They informed Biden but he acted like he didn’t know so he wouldn’t have to end his vacation early.
Too many Covid shots.
Why is this odd? This country is being run by someone other than Brandon. They didn’t tell you that either.
If 40% of Americans realized that none of these criminals signed the paper document that says “I swear an oath to the Constitution of the United States of America” we would have a real insurrection where eveey person had their gun on hand just like Rep Don Young said before departing earth.
This administration is run by incompetents and mental deficients.
I hope they don’t get us all killed before we rid ourselves of them.
I like that picture of him ! Really explains a lot ! Love it
“this was my medical procedure”
Removal of the testicles alone. This is called orchiectomy.
Vaginoplasty. This is a procedure that may include:
Removal of the penis, called penectomy.
Removal of the testicles.
Creation of a vagina, called vaginoplasty.
Creation of a clitoris, called clitoroplasty.
Creation of labia, called labioplasty.
“the Pentagon did not tell President Biden or other top officials about Austin’s hospitalization for three days.”
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What breathtaking, historic disrespect for a sitting President and for the Office of the President.
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The sixth person in the Presidential Line of Succession, a retired United States Army four-star general, knew in advance he could do this and get away with it.
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SecDef goes all hors de combat because the Big Guy’s so far out of the picture it doesn’t matter, and the Obama Guy who’s really running the show could care less what SecDef does beyond making donors happy?
.
Care to imagine what the Russians, Chinese, North Koreans, and drug cartels feel emboldened to do now they have confirmation the American military chain of command is quite literally broken?
Funny how “Russia Russia Russia” Grandpa Bloodstains keeps running the old Soviet playbook.
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