Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has been in the news lately more for what he didn't do than what he did. As we wrote previously, Austin kept almost everyone in the White House in the dark about his whereabouts--when he was actually in the hospital, recovering from a major surgery in the wake of a cancer diagnosis. (Click on the links below for even more; those stories also contain links.)
Read: Secy Austin's Blunder Was Arrogance or Stupidity - Either Way, He Needs to Go
But I need to highlight the direction the Biden Administration has been leaning in answering media questions about the man who is supposed to be running the Pentagon right now. My colleague Streiff wrote on Jan. 7 that despite Biden not being told about Austin's condition until Tuesday:
The White House says Austin has Biden's complete support.
Still, Biden held a “cordial conversation” with his defense secretary on Saturday night, per one of the U.S. officials. “The president has complete trust and confidence in Secretary Austin,” the official said. A National Security Council spokesperson echoed that sentiment, noting Biden “is looking forward to [Austin] getting back to the Pentagon.”
I think everyone in Washington understands that the President giving a cabinet secretary his "complete trust and confidence " comes about a nanosecond before the White House chief of staff makes that call telling them to pack their s*** and get off the battlefield.
But there's more, as we see evidence on Friday of some members of the legacy media trying to report news about this White House.President Joe Biden was asked by a reporter about Austin's ongoing employment status with the administration, as Biden took a tour of a shopping area near Allentown, Pennsylvania.
(AP) Speaking to reporters as he toured local businesses outside Allentown, Pennsylvania, Biden said “yes” when asked if it was a lapse in judgment for Austin not to tell him about his condition. He replied, “I do,” when asked if he still had confidence in Austin’s leadership.
Austin, 70, remains hospitalized as he is being treated for complications from prostate cancer surgery.
Watch him answer the question here:
"Do you have confidence in Secretary Austin?"
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) January 12, 2024
BIDEN: "I do."
"Was it a lapse in judgment for him not to tell you earlier?"
BIDEN: "Yes." pic.twitter.com/5pG0bxF7Os
That's simply not good enough. Single-word answers about the lack of leadership at the Pentagon are not acceptable from the commander in chief. I can't help but hear a major lesson from Watergate ringing in the air: it's not the crime, it's the cover-up. Even those on the Left aren't being silent about the smell of this debacle. We'll see where the ongoing rumblings from both Republicans and Democrats lead. Stay tuned.
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