When an employee does not show up for work, most employers reprimand them as a consequence. According to former President Donald Trump, the Secretary of Defense, Lloyd Austin should be held to the same standard.
Trump called on President Joe Biden to fire Austin, stating that his disappearance is unacceptable and that even his boss, “Crooked Joe Biden” didn’t know where it was.
President Trump is calling for Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin to “immediately be fired for improper professional conduct and dereliction of duty” after he went missing for an entire week. pic.twitter.com/ga61aNGs8j
— Laura Loomer (@LauraLoomer) January 8, 2024
Austin’s disappearance came while the U.S. has been dealing with Houthis, the terrorist group targeting merchant ships in the Red Sea. He is second in command of the U.S. military, only answering to Biden, so him not showing up to work or giving an update is a huge deal.
Apparently, Biden had no idea Austin was missing for three days. Austin was supposed to be working from home, but Deputy Defense Secretary Kathleen Hicks was called in on Jan. 2 to take over some of his duties while she was on vacation in Puerto Rico, according to Reuters.
According to Politico, Austin, 70, was hospitalized at the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, after complications from an undisclosed surgical procedure.
Trump was not the only one who was outraged by Austin’s behavior. Rep. Mike Rogers (R-AL) and Rep. Adam Smith (D-WA) shared a joint statement regarding Austin’s behavior.
“Several questions remain unanswered including what the medical procedure and resulting complications were, what the Secretary’s current health status is, how and when the delegation of the Secretary’s responsibilities were made, and the reason for the delay in notification to the President and Congress,” Rogers and Smith said.
“Transparency is vitally important. Sec. Austin must provide these additional details on his health and the decision-making process that occurred in the past week as soon as possible,” they added.
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has been hospitalized since the beginning of the year, yet President Biden AND Austin’s second-in-command were UNAWARE. We’ve been shooting drones out of the sky in the Middle East like skeet. Who has been making these decisions?! pic.twitter.com/JyYXh8t0hQ
— Glenn Beck (@glennbeck) January 8, 2024
Austin issued a statement regarding his absence on Saturday.
“I commit to doing better,” he said. “But this is important to say: this was my medical procedure, and I take full responsibility for my decisions about disclosure.”
Our Defense Secretary, Lloyd Austin, was secretly hospitalized, and everyone was kept in the dark, including Joe Biden.
We know Joe Biden has no idea who his Secretary of Defense is, but that's beside the point.
This is a matter of national security. #AmericasMayorLive 🇺🇸 https://t.co/On5bXbTKXE
— Rudy W. Giuliani (@RudyGiuliani) January 9, 2024
While he issued a statement, Austin did not explain why he did not inform Biden of his hospitalization.
According to CBS, Biden has no plans of firing Austin.
