{"id":2142716,"date":"2024-01-07T15:16:01","date_gmt":"2024-01-07T20:16:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/deputy-defense-secretary-not-told-lloyd-austin-was-hospitalized-when-taking-over-duties-report\/"},"modified":"2024-01-07T15:20:00","modified_gmt":"2024-01-07T20:20:00","slug":"deputy-defense-secretary-not-told-lloyd-austin-was-hospitalized-when-taking-over-duties-report","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/deputy-defense-secretary-not-told-lloyd-austin-was-hospitalized-when-taking-over-duties-report\/","title":{"rendered":"Report: Deputy Defense Secretary unaware of Lloyd Austin&#8217;s hospitalization during transition of duties"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">26<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fdeputy-defense-secretary-not-told-lloyd-austin-was-hospitalized-when-taking-over-duties-report%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2142716&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><h2>White House and Public Left in the Dark\u2064 About Defense Secretary&#8217;s Hospital \u200bStay<\/h2>\n<p>While the \u200bWhite House and the public were kept unaware of Defense \u200dSecretary Lloyd Austin&#8217;s hospitalization last week, his\u2064 interim replacement, Deputy Defense Secretary Kathleen Hicks, was also left in the dark about the reason for assuming his duties.<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<h3>Hicks\u200c Assumes Austin&#8217;s Duties Without \u2063Knowing He Was Hospitalized<\/h3>\n<p>Hicks took \u200cover some of Austin&#8217;s responsibilities on Jan. 2, but she was not informed about his\u200d hospitalization until Jan. 4, according to two defense\u2063 officials cited by CNN.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>Republicans are expressing their outrage over the lack of disclosure regarding Austin&#8217;s hospital stay.<\/p>\n<p>Hicks was on\u200d vacation in Puerto\u2064 Rico when Austin was admitted\u200d to \u200bthe hospital, including \u200da stint in the intensive care unit \u200bdue to \u2062complications from an elective <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/meme-lords-just-figured-out-how-to-take-back-the-billions-wall-street-made-profiting-off-lockdowns-the-washington-standard\/\" title=\"Meme Lords Just Figured Out How To Take Back The Billions Wall Street Made Profiting Off Lockdowns\">medical procedure<\/a>. Pentagon\u200d press secretary Maj. Gen. Pat\u200d Ryder explained \u2062that it is not uncommon for the Defense Secretary&#8217;s duties to be transferred without providing a reason for\u2062 the transfer.<\/p>\n<p>Even Joint\u200c Chiefs Chair \u2062Gen. Charles Q. Brown was not informed about Austin&#8217;s hospitalization until Tuesday, despite it starting on Monday,\u200b as reported\u2062 by Politico.<\/p>\n<p>The White House\u200c only became aware of Austin&#8217;s hospitalization on Thursday, while the public was not informed until a Pentagon release was issued late on \u200cFriday.<\/p>\n<p>Lawmakers and the \u200bpress are expressing their frustration over the lack of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/rep-malliotakis-aoc-should-have-called-for-investigation-into-gov-cuomo-sooner\/\" title=\"Rep. Malliotakis: AOC should have called for investigation into Gov. Cuomo sooner\">transparency surrounding<\/a> the Defense\u2063 Secretary&#8217;s situation, especially\u200d given the escalating tensions in the Middle \u200dEast.<\/p>\n<p>Austin acknowledged his shortcomings \u2063in disclosing his absence in a statement released \u2064on\u2062 Saturday.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;I understand the media&#8217;s concerns about transparency, and I admit that I could have\u2062 done a better job in ensuring the public was properly informed. I am committed \u200cto\u2062 improving,&#8221; Austin said. &#8220;However, it is important to note \u2062that this was my medical procedure, and I take full responsibility for my decisions regarding disclosure.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>The Washington Examiner has reached out to the Department of Defense for comment.<\/p>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\">CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p> <\/p>\n<h2> What steps should the White House and other government agencies take to improve communication protocols and ensure the prompt disclosure of information regarding officials&#8217; \u2062health in order \u200dto restore trust\u200b and confidence in the government<\/h2>\n<p><span>  Te><\/p>\n<p>On July 13th, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin was \u2064admitted to the hospital for an\u200d undisclosed reason, leaving both the White House and \u2063the public in the dark\u2063 about his condition. This lack of transparency has raised concerns about the trustworthiness of the government and highlights the need for greater accountability.<\/p>\n<p>When a government official, especially one as critical as the Defense Secretary, is hospitalized, it \u2062is essential that\u2062 accurate information is promptly provided to\u200d the\u200b public. Transparency in such matters is crucial to maintain the trust and confidence of the American people. \u2062Unfortunately, in this case, both the White House and the public were \u2064left unaware of\u200c the\u200c situation. <\/p>\n<p>Furthermore,\u200b Austin&#8217;s\u2064 interim replacement, Deputy Defense Secretary Kathleen \u2063Hicks, was\u2064 also kept in the\u2064 dark about the\u2063 reason for\u200c assuming his duties. This lack\u2063 of information not only affects \u2063the efficient operation of the Defense Department but also raises questions about the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/listen-elon-musk-presses-robinhood-ceo-about-gamestop-fiasco-restricted-trading\/\" title=\"LISTEN: Elon Musk Presses Robinhood CEO About GameStop Fiasco, Restricted Trading\">decision-making process<\/a> within the government. How can a \u200bdeputy effectively fill in for their \u2062superior if they are\u200b unaware of the underlying reason for their absence?<\/p>\n<p>It \u2064is understandable that there may be instances where privacy concerns limit the amount of information that can\u200b be disclosed about a government official&#8217;s health. However, it is crucial to strike a balance\u2062 between privacy and transparency. The public \u2064has a right to \u2064know if a government official is unable to fulfill their duties due to health reasons, especially when their position has such significant implications for national security and defense.<\/p>\n<p>The lack\u2062 of communication \u200band transparency surrounding \u2062Austin&#8217;s hospitalization reflects a\u200c broader issue within the government \u2013 a tendency to operate in secrecy, hiding \u200bcrucial information from the public. This lack of openness erodes trust and undermines the democratic principles that \u2064our nation upholds.<\/p>\n<p>It \u200dis \u200bnot only the responsibility of the White House and the Defense Department but \u200balso \u200bthe \u2064duty \u2064of all government \u2063agencies to prioritize transparency and \u200censure that the public is adequately \u200cinformed about critical\u200b matters. The American people deserve to know \u2062about the\u2062 health of their\u200d elected and appointed officials, as it directly impacts their ability to carry out their duties effectively.<\/p>\n<p>Going forward, it is imperative \u2063that the White House and \u200ball government organizations improve their communication protocols and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/supreme-court-news-justices-save-biden-student-loan-case-for-final-day\/\" title=\"Supreme Court update: Biden student loan case held for final day.\">establish clear guidelines<\/a> for disclosing \u200cinformation about officials&#8217; health. This includes promptly and accurately informing the public and relevant individuals within the\u200c government about any hospitalizations or medical\u200b conditions.<\/p>\n<p>The current situation surrounding Defense\u200b Secretary Lloyd Austin&#8217;s hospitalization serves as a reminder that the\u2063 American people, as\u200d well as those within the government,\u200c need to be kept informed about the health status of key officials. Transparency and open \u2063communication are fundamental principles of a democratic society, and it is essential that they are upheld at all\u200c levels of \u2062government.<\/p>\n<p>In order to restore trust and \u200cconfidence in \u2062the government, it is necessary for the White House to acknowledge the shortcoming in communication, apologize for\u2062 the lack of transparency, and \u200dtake appropriate steps to ensure that such information is\u2064 shared in a timely and responsible manner in the future.<\/p>\n<p>The American people deserve to have faith in their government and to be assured that their \u2063leaders are acting in their best interest.\u2064 By prioritizing transparency and open communication, the \u2064government \u2062can regain the trust\u2062 that has been eroded by this unfortunate incident.<\/p>\n<p>It is \u2064only through greater transparency and accountability that the government can uphold its responsibility to serve the public \u200band maintain the democratic principles upon\u200d which our \u2063nation was built.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin&#8217;s hospitalization last week left the White House and public unaware, while Deputy Defense Secretary Kathleen Hicks assumed his duties without knowing the reason. On January 2, Hicks took over some responsibilities, but the cause behind Austin&#8217;s absence remained undisclosed<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2142717,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[538],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2142716","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-washington-examiner"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2142716","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2142716"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2142716\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2142717"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2142716"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2142716"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2142716"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}