{"id":2142768,"date":"2024-01-07T16:27:02","date_gmt":"2024-01-07T21:27:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/deputy-who-assumed-defense-secretarys-duties-was-not-told-about-his-hospitalization-for-days-report\/"},"modified":"2024-01-07T16:29:21","modified_gmt":"2024-01-07T21:29:21","slug":"deputy-who-assumed-defense-secretarys-duties-was-not-told-about-his-hospitalization-for-days-report","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/deputy-who-assumed-defense-secretarys-duties-was-not-told-about-his-hospitalization-for-days-report\/","title":{"rendered":"Deputy unaware of Defense Secretary&#8217;s hospitalization for days: Report"},"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\">18<\/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-who-assumed-defense-secretarys-duties-was-not-told-about-his-hospitalization-for-days-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=2142768&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>Deputy Kept in the Dark About Defense Secretary&#8217;s Hospitalization<\/h2>\n<p>The deputy who\u200c assumed some of Defense Secretary <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dailywire.com\/topic\/lloyd-austin\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Lloyd Austin<\/a>&#8216;s duties last week was left unaware of the Cabinet official&#8217;s hospitalization \u200bfor\u200b several days, according \u2064to a new report.<\/p>\n<p>Defense officials <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/2024\/01\/07\/politics\/austin-hospitalization-leaders-not-informed?cid=ios_app\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">informed CNN<\/a> that Deputy Secretary Kathleen Hicks and other top \u2062brass were not informed about Austin&#8217;s situation until Thursday, three days after he was admitted to Walter\u200d Reed National Military Medical Center.<\/p>\n<p>The Department of Defense (DoD) stated that Hicks took on &#8220;certain operational responsibilities that require constant secure communications capabilities&#8221; on Tuesday. Despite being on vacation in Puerto Rico, Hicks had planned to return to Washington, D.C., on Friday. However, she decided to stay put as Austin was expected to \u2062resume his duties from the hospital.<\/p>\n<p>Pentagon Press Secretary \u200dMaj. Gen. Pat Ryder explained that \u200bit is not uncommon for the defense secretary to delegate certain responsibilities without explanation. Hicks made routine operational and management decisions during this time. \u200bRyder also emphasized that Austin has no plans to resign.<\/p>\n<p>The DoD surprised the Pentagon press corps, lawmakers, and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dailywire.com\/news\/biden-kept-in-dark-about-defense-secretarys-hospitalization-deputy-took-charge-while-on-vacation-reports\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">even reportedly White House<\/a> officials on Thursday when it announced that Austin had been hospitalized on Monday evening\u2064 due to complications following a recent \u2063elective medical procedure. According to the statement,\u200b Austin was recovering well and expected to resume his full duties.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/news\/us-news\/secretary-defense-lloyd-austin-hospitalized-middle-east-missions-rcna132612\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">NBC News<\/a> revealed that Austin \u200cspent four days in the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/bronny-james-cardiac-arrest-lebron-jamess-son-suffers-emergency-during-usc-practice\/\" title=\"Bronny James experiences cardiac arrest at USC practice.\">intensive care\u2063 unit<\/a>, while <a href=\"https:\/\/www.politico.com\/news\/2024\/01\/07\/austin-has-long-been-a-quiet-operator-that-just-backfired-on-him-00134199\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">POLITICO reported<\/a> that Gen. C.Q. Brown, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, was informed about Austin&#8217;s situation\u200c on Tuesday. Acting Defense\u200b Undersecretary\u200d for Policy Sasha Baker attended a White House meeting in Austin&#8217;s place without knowledge\u2064 of his hospitalization.<\/p>\n<p>A White House official <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/jeffmason1\/status\/1743807654177165741\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">told Reuters<\/a> that\u200b President Joe Biden has full confidence in Austin and is looking \u2063forward to his return to the Pentagon. However, \u200ca U.S. official <a href=\"https:\/\/abcnews.go.com\/Politics\/biden-exasperated-informed-lloyd-austins-hospitalization-source\/story?id=106168484\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">told ABC News<\/a> that Biden was exasperated\u2063 by the lack of transparency and that there would be a review \u200bof the episode.<\/p>\n<p>While Ryder mentioned that there were multiple factors to consider, such as medical and \u200bprivacy issues, members of the media and Congress expressed outrage and demanded more information.<\/p>\n<p>The board of directors of the Pentagon Press Association sent a <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/TaskandPurpose\/status\/1743450095641674051\">letter<\/a> to DoD public affairs officials, calling\u2064 the late notice an &#8220;outrage&#8221; and requesting a meeting to address the \u2062troubling situation. They also stated that Austin has no claim to privacy in this situation.<\/p>\n<p>Sen. Roger Wicker \u200b(R-MS), ranking member of the Senate Armed\u200c Services Committee, released a statement that <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/SASCGOP\/status\/1743791540915306524\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">said<\/a> the Department of Defense deliberately withheld the Secretary of Defense&#8217;s medical condition for days, which he deemed unacceptable.<\/p>\n<p>The DoD \u2063released a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.defense.gov\/News\/Releases\/Release\/Article\/3633506\/statement-by-secretary-of-defense-lloyd-j-austin-iii-on-medical-care\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">statement<\/a> from the defense secretary on Saturday, sharing that he was recovering \u200band expressing regret for how the situation was handled.<\/p>\n<p><b><a href=\"https:\/\/onelink.to\/dwapp\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" aria-describedby=\"sk-tooltip-9096\" data-saferedirecturl=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/url?q=https:\/\/onelink.to\/dwapp&#038;source=gmail&#038;ust=1700760801843000&#038;usg=AOvVaw2PQrVSrJfhxNb4LcARqniG\">CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILYWIRE+ APP<\/a><\/b><\/p>\n<p>&#8220;I want \u2064to thank the amazing doctors and nursing staff \u2063at Walter Reed\u200c for the exceptional care they have delivered to me and for the personal warmth they have shown \u200dmy family. I also appreciate all the outreach and well wishes from colleagues and friends. Charlene and I are very grateful for your\u2064 support,&#8221; \u200dhe said, referring to his wife.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;I am very glad to be on the mend and look forward \u2063to returning to the Pentagon soon,&#8221; Lloyd\u2064 added. &#8220;I also understand the media concerns about transparency and I recognize I could have done a better job\u2062 ensuring the public was appropriately informed. I commit to \u200bdoing\u200c better. But this is important to say: this was my medical procedure, and I take full\u2063 responsibility for my \u200bdecisions about disclosure.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p> <\/p>\n<h2> How \u2064did the lack of transparency regarding Austin&#8217;s hospitalization affect the Pentagon \u2063press corps,\u2063 lawmakers, and White House officials?<\/h2>\n<p><span>  R<\/a>\u200br<\/p>\n<p>Last week, Deputy Secretary Kathleen\u200b Hicks was left\u2062 in the dark \u2063about Defense Secretary Lloyd\u2063 Austin&#8217;s hospitalization,\u200b according to\u200d a \u200creport by CNN. It was revealed that \u200bHicks and other top officials were\u200d not informed about Austin&#8217;s situation\u2062 until three days after he was \u200dadmitted to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center.<\/p>\n<p>The Department of Defense (DoD) stated that Hicks had taken on certain operational responsibilities that require constant \u2064secure communications capabilities \u2064on Tuesday. Despite being on vacation in Puerto Rico, Hicks had planned to return to Washington, D.C., on Friday.\u200d However, she decided to stay\u200c put as Austin was \u2064expected to resume his duties from the hospital.<\/p>\n<p>Pentagon Press Secretary \u200cMaj. Gen. Pat Ryder explained that it is not uncommon for the defense secretary \u2064to delegate certain responsibilities without \u2062explanation. During this time, Hicks made routine operational and management decisions. Ryder also emphasized that Austin \u200chas \u200cno plans to resign.<\/p>\n<p>However, the \u200dDoD surprised the \u2063Pentagon press corps, lawmakers, and \u2062even reportedly \u200cWhite House officials on Thursday when it announced that Austin had been hospitalized on Monday \u2063evening due to complications following a recent elective medical procedure. The statement mentioned that Austin was recovering well and expected to\u200c resume his full duties.<\/p>\n<p>NBC\u200d News revealed that Austin spent four days in \u2064the\u2062 <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/officials-eleven-soldiers-hospitalized-after-ingesting-chemical-found-in-antifreeze\/\" title=\"Officials: Eleven Soldiers Hospitalized After Ingesting Chemical Found In Antifreeze\">intensive care unit<\/a>, while\u200d POLITICO\u2062 reported that Gen. \u2062C.Q. Brown, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, was informed about Austin&#8217;s situation on Tuesday. Acting Defense Undersecretary \u2063for Policy Sasha Baker \u2064attended a\u200d White \u200cHouse meeting in Austin&#8217;s place without knowledge of his hospitalization.<\/p>\n<p>A \u200dWhite House official confirmed President Joe Biden&#8217;s full confidence in Austin and his \u2062anticipation of\u2062 his return to the\u2064 Pentagon. However, a U.S. official told ABC News that Biden \u2064was exasperated\u2062 by the lack\u2063 of \u2063transparency and that there would be a review of the episode.<\/p>\n<p>While Ryder mentioned \u200cthat \u2062there were multiple factors to consider, such as medical\u2063 and privacy issues, members of the media and Congress expressed\u200d outrage and demanded more \u2064information. The board of directors of the Pentagon Press Association even sent a letter requesting a meeting with \u200cthe DoD to \u200cdiscuss the lack of transparency regarding Austin&#8217;s hospitalization.<\/p>\n<p>As the situation unfolds, it\u200d remains to be seen how the DoD will handle the fallout from not informing key officials about \u200dAustin&#8217;s hospitalization. The incident\u200c raises questions about \u200ccommunication protocols and the need for transparency in government agencies, particularly \u2064when it comes \u2064to the health and well-being of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/report-bidens-education-department-has-closer-ties-to-crt-group-than-they-admit\/\" title=\"REPORT: Biden\u2019s Education Department Has Closer Ties To CRT Group Than They Admit\">high-ranking officials<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>This\u2062 lack of transparency also highlights the importance of accountability and ensuring that appropriate succession plans\u2063 are\u200d in place in the\u200d event of unforeseen circumstances. While it is \u2063understandable that certain\u2063 details may need to be kept confidential for security reasons, it\u200b is imperative that key individuals are kept informed to ensure the smooth functioning of critical operations.<\/p>\n<p>In the coming days, it is \u2064expected that more information will be released about Austin&#8217;s condition and why key officials were not informed in a timely manner. The incident serves as a reminder that openness,\u2064 transparency, and effective communication\u2063 are vital in government institutions to maintain public trust and \u200bconfidence.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Days after his hospitalization. The report reveals that Deputy Secretary Kathleen Hicks and other high-ranking officials were unaware of Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin&#8217;s hospitalization until three days later, highlighting a lack of communication within the department<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1588,"featured_media":2142769,"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":[541],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2142768","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-daily-wire"],"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\/2142768","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\/1588"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2142768"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2142768\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2142769"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2142768"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2142768"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2142768"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}