(TargetDailyNews.com) – Former President Donald Trump demanded the immediate firing of Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin once it became clear that he failed to report a hospitalization to the White House. Trump called the behavior a “dereliction of duty” and unprofessional.
In remarks published to his social media site, Truth Social, Trump indicated that Austin was missing for a week without the White House having the slightest idea of where he was.
Trump added that Austin’s performance as Secretary of Defense has been poor overall and that both he and General Mark Milley should be fired for the disastrous Afghanistan withdrawal.
The comments came amid reports that Austin was rushed to an ICU at Walter Reed Army Medical Center on New Year’s Day without the awareness of Kathleen Hicks, his second in command. Indeed the reporting from CNN indicated that Hicks wasn’t even told that Austin was in the ICU when she began performing his duties on January 2nd.
The hospitalization was a result of complications arising from an elective surgical procedure, according to CNN. They report that the elective procedure occurred on December 22nd, but on the evening of January 1st, Austin began to experience severe pain which led him to call an ambulance.
The controversy surrounding his hospital stay stems from the fact that no one seemed to know where he was until January 3rd, including his subordinates or the White House.
Hicks was also on a scheduled vacation in Puerto Rico at the time, further complicating the matter.
Republicans and Pentagon officials have been heavily critical, demanding that Austin explain the secrecy surrounding the incident.
Former President Mike Pence highlighted the ongoing wars in Europe and the Middle East and suggested that it was a dereliction of duty to fail to properly inform his colleagues about his multi-day hospital visit. Pence also argued that Austin should come clean and explain what happened to the American people.
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