Even before Tuesday, Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin had, to quote Ricky Ricardo, some ’splainin to do.
Austin, as you will no doubt recall, was AWOL from his position for the first week of the month.
First, we were told it was due to an “elective procedure” — implying some kind of minor medical treatment. Then we discovered he was in the intensive care unit, somewhere patients with minor ailments don’t usually don’t end up. Then we found out he was taken from his residence to the hospital in an ambulance, something which definitely doesn’t indicate everything’s OK.
Well, as it turns out, Austin was suffering from prostate cancer and had the gland removed — which, you know, is something Americans probably should have been informed of. Or at least something Americans in the Biden administration should have been informed of, which didn’t quite happen, either.
And now we find out that this wasn’t just a mere accident. No, from the very moment Austin’s people were arranging transportation to the hospital after he suffered complications from that pre-Christmas surgery, they were attempting to hide the whole thing.
On Tuesday, The Daily Beast reported it had obtained an audio of the 911 call through a Freedom of Information Act request, and it showed that the Austin aide who placed the call requested that emergency responders remain “subtle” about the situation.
“Can I ask — can the ambulance not show up with lights and sirens?” the aide asked dispatchers during the Jan. 1 call. “Um, we’re trying to remain a little subtle.”
The dispatcher told the aide that while the ambulance was required to run its sirens and lights on main thoroughfares, “usually when they turn into a residential neighborhood, they’ll turn them off.”
According to The Daily Beast, the audio also revealed more information about Austin’s condition at the time of the call; the aide said there was no chest pain and Austin had not passed out or felt like he was going to do so.
Should Lloyd Austin resign?
“It is not clear who asked the aide to request the ambulance dispatchers attempt to fly under the radar, or if the aide acted of his own accord,” The Daily Beast reported.
However, the outlet noted, the audio “suggests that the effort to keep his ailment secret was well-known among his close aides.”
News: I obtained audio of SecDef’s 911 Jan 1 call. It has some info on his medical condition at the time and reveals info on just how secretive his team was trying to be: His aide outright requests the ambulance try to fly under the radar. @thedailybeast https://t.co/F8VubUBO9p
— Shannon Vavra (@shanvav) January 16, 2024
If the audio makes it clear that the secretary’s people were well aware of his condition, others in the administration weren’t.
Despite the fact that Austin, 70, had a prostatectomy on Dec. 22, President Joe Biden wasn’t informed of his cancer diagnosis until Jan. 9, The Daily Beast reported. That was the same day the Pentagon decided to inform the rest of the country about what was going on, as well.
“On December 22, 2023, after consultation with his medical team, [Austin] was admitted to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center and underwent a minimally invasive surgical procedure called a prostatectomy to treat and cure prostate cancer,” a statement from the Department of Defense read.
“He was under general anesthesia during this procedure. Secretary Austin recovered uneventfully from his surgery and returned home the next morning. His prostate cancer was detected early, and his prognosis is excellent.
“On January 1st, 2024, Secretary Austin was admitted to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center with complications from the December 22 procedure, including nausea with severe abdominal, hip, and leg pain. Initial evaluation revealed a urinary tract infection,” the statement continued.
“On January 2, the decision was made to transfer him to the ICU for close monitoring and a higher level of care. Further evaluation revealed abdominal fluid collections impairing the function of his small intestines. This resulted in the back up of his intestinal contents which was treated by placing a tube through his nose to drain his stomach. The abdominal fluid collections were drained by non-surgical drain placement. He has progressed steadily throughout his stay. His infection has cleared. He continues to make progress and we anticipate a full recovery although this can be a slow process. During this stay, Secretary Austin never lost consciousness and never underwent general anesthesia.”
However, news of the 911 call didn’t inspire confidence among social media users:
Such a blunder by this admin. Yet they go on as if nothing is amiss in the world that might need our military to be ready. Our consulate gets bombed. No military expertise to be found. POTUS calls a lid at 2:30 and 10:AM two days in a row while remaining silent. Unbelievable.
— GoCrazyCadillac (@NorthATLWife) January 16, 2024
So, it was known…
— 🇺🇸🐊🌴Laura Lee🌴🐊🇺🇸 (@grandmaGator929) January 16, 2024
And exactly 0 journalists will hold the Biden administration accountable for the dereliction of duty. Austin should have been fired or resigned. He is 6th in the line of succession. He doesn’t get to hide that he can’t perform his duties.
— GOPPouncer (@Mellecon) January 16, 2024
The most transparent administration in history. 🤭😂
— chris kendall (@chriskendall7) January 16, 2024
Perhaps the most damning part of this whole affair is that, in an administration that’s made “gerontocracy” a household word, there’s been such a lack of transparency surrounding the health of the septuagenarian running the Pentagon that we’re finding out who knew what and when via 911 calls obtained through FOIA requests.
At a time when the phrase “World War 3” gets bandied about thanks to Russia, China, Hamas and Houthis, the guy in charge of the Department of Defense was in the ICU and the people who should have been in the know — including his deputy — thought he was working from home.
And yet, nobody has demanded Austin’s resignation. In fact, the president has flatly stated he wouldn’t accept Austin’s resignation if tendered, according to Politico.
Whether this is out of misplaced loyalty or the 81-year-old Biden considering the fact he may have to, sometime in the near future, pull a similar stunt, one thing is clear: New leadership is needed, both at the Pentagon and at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave.
