Criticism continues to pour in in the United States against Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin for delaying informing the White House and Congress of his hospitalization at a time when the country is embroiled in major crises, particularly in the Middle East .
Lloyd Austin, 70, was admitted to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center on Jan. 1 due to complications from a planned medical procedure. But the Pentagon only made the information public four days later, including to the President's Office.
The minister's ongoing hospitalization comes as the United States seeks to contain the regional fallout from the war between Israel and Hamas, which has notably led to attacks against American forces in Iraq and Syria and against merchant ships in the Red Sea .
Given the turmoil in the Middle East, it is shocking “to have the defense secretary in the hospital for four days without (President) Biden knowing,” lamented Ian Bremmer, president of Eurasia Group, an analysis firm specializing in political risk.
AFP
In his opinion, this situation gives the president the opportunity to replace his minister, but the White House continues to support him for now.
On December 22, Lloyd Austin underwent a medical procedure, the nature of which was not specified, and was released from the hospital the following day. On Jan. 1, he began to experience “severe pain” and was taken by ambulance to Walter Reed, Pentagon spokesman Pat Ryder told reporters Monday.
The spokesman added that the minister was “recovering well and in good spirits”. He is no longer in the intensive care unit” and “spoke in separate phone calls Monday with Acting Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks and National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan.”
“We don’t have an exact date for his release from hospital yet,” Mr Ryder said.
On January 2, some powers were transferred to his deputy, Kathleen Hicks, but she was not informed of this hospitalization until two days later, the spokeswoman added.
Even the United States National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan was not informed until January 4th, while the powerful Congress was informed on January 5th, the day of the Pentagon's public announcement.
Lloyd Austin's chief of staff was “delayed” in the reporting process because of a “flu,” Pat Ryder told reporters.
“We are looking at how we can improve these reporting procedures,” he added.
For his part, the spokesman said that he himself was informed about the minister's hospitalization on January 2, but he did not reveal any information until he “learned more.”
Joe Biden's likely Republican rival in November's presidential election, Donald Trump, said Lloyd Austin “should be terminated immediately for inappropriate professional conduct and neglect of his duties.”
The same allegations in Congress: “It is shocking and completely unacceptable that the Department of Defense waited several days to inform the President, the National Security Council and the American people,” castigated Elise Stefanik, Republican elected to the House of Representatives.
In a statement, she called for the minister's “immediate resignation.”
But Joe Biden's government rejects these demands. The president continues to have “complete confidence” in his minister, White House spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre told the press.
And Lloyd Austin, who is no longer in the intensive care unit, “has no plans to resign,” his spokesman Pat Ryder added.
The minister and his team would “work hard every day to win and earn the trust” of Americans, he said.
In a news release Saturday, Lloyd Austin said he takes “full responsibility” for his decisions and is committed to “doing better” so that citizens are “properly informed.”