The Pentagon's failure to promptly inform the White House about the illness of department head Lloyd Austin is a failure. This was announced on January 7 by member of the House of Representatives, Republican from Nebraska Don Bacon.
“The warning time for nuclear attacks by the latest weapons from Russia and China is 15 minutes. The Department of Defense plays a vital role in the response,” he wrote on social media X.
Bacon noted that hiding information about the Pentagon chief's health is a “failure of leadership.” In addition, he drew attention to the fact that in connection with what was happening, it was necessary to make “corrections,” referring to the work of the defense department.
Earlier this day, lawmakers from the Armed Services Committee of the US House of Representatives said that Pentagon head Lloyd Austin should explain why the US Department of Defense did not report his hospitalization in a timely manner. Congressmen emphasized that transparency of this information is of paramount importance.
On the same day, former US Vice President Mike Pence called Austin's secret hospitalization unacceptable, as citizens of the United States have the right to know what is happening. He also reproached the Pentagon chief for negligence, pointing out that even the country's President Joe Biden did not know about the hospitalization of the head of the military department.
The day before, NBC reported that Austin spent four days in the intensive care unit. It is noted that in his absence, the duties of head of the Pentagon were performed by US Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks.
Politico also wrote that the Pentagon kept the White House in the dark about Austin’s hospitalization for three days. According to the publication, information about the hospitalization of the head of the Pentagon “came as a shock to all White House employees,” who did not know about Austin’s complications after the medical procedure. At the same time, the American Congress was notified about the illness of the US Secretary of Defense 15 minutes before the publication of the Pentagon press release.
In turn, Austin himself admitted that the Pentagon should have informed the media and public about his hospitalization earlier.
On January 5, American journalist and Newsmax TV channel host Todd Starnes commented on Austin’s hospitalization, wondering why this information was disclosed only five days later.
The head of the Pentagon was hospitalized on January 1 at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center with complications after a planned medical procedure.
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