Former President Trump on Monday called for Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin to be fired for failing to disclose that he was hospitalized for four days last week.
President Trump said, “The ousted Secretary of Defense, Lloyd Austin, should be fired immediately for his professional misconduct and dereliction of duty.'' real social posts Monday. “He's been missing for a week and no one, including his boss Crooked Joe Biden, had a clue where he was or might be.”
The Pentagon said Friday that Austin had been hospitalized since last Monday due to complications from a previous surgery. Until Friday, no one outside the Pentagon, including President Biden, was informed of his absence, raising concerns about government transparency.
“I am very pleased that he is on the mend and look forward to returning to the Department of Defense soon,” Austin said in a statement Saturday. “I also understand the media's concerns about transparency and recognize that we could have done a better job of ensuring the public was properly informed. I will do my best to.”
“But this is important: This is my medical procedure, and I take full responsibility for decisions regarding disclosure,” Austin added.
Austin returned to work Friday despite being hospitalized, the Pentagon said.
It was not immediately clear what the elective medical procedure was. Austin, 70, is a retired Army four-star general with more than 40 years of military service.
The Associated Press reported Saturday that Biden expressed confidence in Austin's leadership despite the scandal. on monday, Reuters reported Biden says he has no intention of eliminating Austin.
Several members of Congress have also criticized Austin over the incident, including House Armed Services Committee Chairman and ranking member Rep. Mike Rogers (R-Ala.) and Rep. Adam Smith (D-Wash.).
“While we hope Section Austin has made a speedy recovery, we are concerned about how the disclosure of the Secretary's condition was handled,” the two said in a written statement. joint statement on sunday. “What were the medical procedures and associated complications? What is the Secretary's current health condition? When and how was the Secretary's responsibilities delegated? Why was there a delay in notifying the President and Congress? , some questions remain unanswered.”
“Transparency is critical,” they continued. “Sec. Austin must provide additional details regarding his health and the decision-making process that has occurred over the past week as soon as possible.”
The Pentagon Press Association, which represents journalists who cover national defense, called the failure to disclose the details of his hospitalization an “outrageous act.”
“Keeping Americans informed about their health status is especially important at a time when threats to U.S. service members in the Middle East are increasing and the United States plays a critical national security role in the wars in Israel and Ukraine.” and the decision-making ability of top defense leaders,” the group said.
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