Arrr, Pentagon scallywags be flabbergasted as the matey in charge o' defense hides his ailment from the captain! Blimey!
2024-01-10
Arrr, me hearties! Word be spreadin' that Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin be keepin' his scurvy cancer hidden from the grand President Biden. Aye, 'tis a grave mistake, says the Pentagon officials to Politico. Methinks secrets be sailin' on treacherous seas!
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has faced criticism from Pentagon officials for keeping his hospitalization and cancer diagnosis secret from President Biden and his subordinates. One official called Austin's decision "reckless and irresponsible," stating that he should have at least shared such important information with the president. The White House was only informed about Austin's hospitalization 48 hours after the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff learned the news on January 2. Austin was admitted to the intensive care unit at the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center on January 1 due to severe pain following a recent elective medical procedure. It was later revealed that Austin had been diagnosed with prostate cancer and underwent a prostatectomy to treat and cure the disease. Some Pentagon officials claimed that Austin did not intentionally keep the president in the dark and attributed the incident to staff being out of the office. However, others disagreed and questioned the chief of staff's involvement, suggesting that her absence could not be a valid excuse. A Biden administration official criticized Austin's political staff for either enabling his lack of disclosure or advising him poorly. Another defense official expressed concern that Austin's decision jeopardized national security and left senior decision-makers and White House officials uninformed. The Defense Department did not provide a comment on the matter.