International sec of defense in ICU/hospital for days, Biden admin not even notified

[cottagecheesefan]

Austin had complications from elective procedure and was in the ICU for a few days, starting on 1/1. Biden admin was not informed until 1/4.

The lady who is Austin’s next in line took over, while vacationing in Puerto Rico, and worked remotely.

Hey, with multiple conflicts going on, China openly threatening Biden to his face over Taiwan, I don’t like this. Makes us look incompetent without proper communication between the president, his people, and the pentagon.

Makes the president look disrespected by his own pentagon, like everything is on auto pilot.

 

[CatchnShoot]

The Secretary of Defense was able to hide his absence from .....


Get your head out of your ass Ricky..... he wasn't hiding shit, he was in the ICU ffs.

The referenced report INFERS that Biden wasn't notified because Jake Sullivan didn't know. No comment from President Biden.


I would have expected the Hospital admission itself to be brought to Potus' attention, though.

 

[degoj99]

What difference would it make if Biden knew? He has next to no mental function at this point.

 

[SakurabasEar]

What difference would it make if Biden knew? He has next to no mental function at this point.

Well, he is still the commander and chief. If something happens while the sec def is down, we're talking about major procedural issues

 

[cottagecheesefan]

What difference would it make if Biden knew? He has next to no mental function at this point.

True about Biden. But Jake Sullivan and Blinken did not know also. Sullivan is the national security advisor.

 

[cottagecheesefan]

Well, he is still the commander and chief. If something happens while the sec def is down, we're talking about major procedural issues

Plus it was not just Biden himself, was the rest of his admin, including Secretary of State and national security advisor.

Imagine is an attack happened on Taiwan or some escalation in the conflicts already happening. Sec of defense is in the ICU and his replacement is vacationing. Seems like the recipe for a slow response, when in that situation, response needs to be immediate and readily coordinate.

A few minutes calling around to see who is in charge of the pentagon, waiting for the replacement to open a zoom meeting or whatever. Could easily turn into a cluster fuck

 

[Super_Nintendo]

side question. is biden able to communicate with world leaders when needed? do they even take his calls or does obama do it for him? nobody's home, they can do anything they want.

 

[Fluffernutter]

I'm glad that they are respecting Austin's HIPAA rights.

It's not Joe or Jakes business. Lloyd can talk to his boss and colleagues about his health issues if he wants to. If he doesn't, that's okay. We should respect his privacy

 

[Poon Goon]

Well, he is still the commander and chief.

Commander in chief

 

[HereticBD]

I'm glad that they are respecting Austin's HIPAA rights.

It's not Joe or Jakes business. Lloyd can talk to his boss and colleagues about his health issues if he wants to. If he doesn't, that's okay. We should respect his privacy

It's one thing for us to respect his privacy. It's another thing to not inform the people who would be tasked with finding a replacement in short order, if anything went wrong. This just seems like simple protocol that wasn't followed.

 

[Fluffernutter]

It's one thing for us to respect his privacy. It's another thing to not inform the people who would be tasked with finding a replacement in short order, if anything went wrong. This just seems like simple protocol that wasn't followed.

January 1st is a holiday.

Cut the guy some slack.

As long as he filled out the correct paperwork, it's all good. Looks like his deputy was informed. I just hope his medical leave forms were filled in triplicate.

 

[HereticBD]

January 1st is a holiday.

Not for the government, I would hope. I get that that they technically get the day off, but it's not like the wheels stop turning. Knowing that your SED was in the hospital, seems like something the President should know immediately.

 

[High Test With da Best]

Commander in chief

"Commander An Chief"
- @PEB

 

[DiddlyDoodly]

Biden is the Commandeering Chief

 

[ocfightfan]

What difference would it make if Biden knew? He has next to no mental function at this point.

For Biden? None because he lacks a fully functional brain. But the rest of the team should have known in case something affecting national security or the military came up and a decision needed to be made.

 

[Rob Battisti]

Biden is the Commandeering Chief

Chief Commode

 

[Flower2dPeople]

His position probably means fuck all if no one misses him and his replacement works from home.

 

[aerius]

True about Biden. But Jake Sullivan and Blinken did not know also. Sullivan is the national security advisor.

Meh. It's not like those shitbags are good for anything. I'd argue that the US is better off without all those CIA/intelligence and Pentagon brass getting in the way.

 

[cottagecheesefan]

His position probably means fuck all if no one misses him and his replacement works from home.

Meh. It's not like those shitbags are good for anything. I'd argue that the US is better off without all those CIA/intelligence and Pentagon brass getting in the way.

Fair enough with those opinions, and I don’t disagree. It is actually disgusting someone like him is basically there for PR and to get a big salary, when he was just on the board of Raytheon. It is kind of like a PR position for the military industrial complex.

But that highlights my point in the OP, that is just gives the message that everything is on auto pilot from the unelected, ruling class, such as the military industrial complex, and the people supposedly in charge and on top of things are in the ICU and vacationing in Puerto Rico, while multiple conflicts are going on, and the president and his team don’t even know.

It really just shows US government is weak and being ran by people behind the scenes. As if we need anymore proof of that, but here we are with this

 

[Fluffernutter]

Not for the government, I would hope. I get that that they technically get the day off, but it's not like the wheels stop turning. Knowing that your SED was in the hospital, seems like something the President should know immediately.

Nah. The MIC will still do it's thing.

Brown
Blinken
Sullivan
Burns

They can pick up the slack for the most famous Raytheon lobbyist while he recuperates