With every new detail that comes to light, it’s becoming clear that the saga surrounding Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin’s medical disappearance isn’t just a scandal but the scandal of a generation.
For those who have missed the key details, the problem surrounds Austin’s secret hospitalization following complications from prostate cancer surgery in early January, one that was initially described as elective, which was kept secret from the White House, the Pentagon, and the entire nation for more than a week. Even President Joe Biden and Austin’s deputy secretary, Kathleen Hicks, didn’t discover the truth for up to four days — which raises serious concerns over the liveliness of the White House group chat thread.
As if that wasn’t enough, when emergency services were called to Austin’s residence on New Year’s Day, an aide asked for discretion, requesting that the vehicle “not show up with lights and sirens.”
It was also reported that Austin was admitted for a prostatectomy three days before Christmas, undergoing general anesthesia, again, without the knowledge of the White House or Hicks.
And the cherry on this particular cake? Hicks, who was unaware of her sudden added responsibilities, was on vacation in Puerto Rico.
Unsurprisingly, this has sparked bipartisan calls for Austin’s immediate resignation, while more than a third of likely U.S. voters support calls for Austin to step down.
But will he? Of course not. Why? Because we live in a time devoid of shame.
It’s not like politicians are incapable of resigning to at least pretend to hold some level of respect for their position. For example, Al Franken resigned from the Senate in 2018 after accusations of sexual misconduct, and following the infamous Watergate scandal, Richard Nixon became the first and only president to step down from office.
But today, fueled by our collective lack of attention span, not even the most monumental scandal will act as a catalyst for a politician to give up power voluntarily.
Austin’s decision to deliberately obfuscate his incapacitation while acting as head of the Department of Defense is unforgivable during times of unrivaled peace, let alone when the world has exploded in conflict. With wars raging in Europe and the Middle East, let alone the near-constant threat of conflict in the Far East, doesn’t it seem important that the figure responsible for overseeing the nation’s defense strategy is, at the very least, conscious?
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But given that we live in a world where abject failure in government is not only accepted but rewarded, and shameless narcissists cling to power regardless of their actions, is it any surprise that what should be a career-ending, once-in-a-generation scandal will be forgotten in just a few days?
Biden has spent what seems like the majority of his tenure sunning himself on vacation, dodging every Hunter Biden scandal along the way. So, given the physical state of the commander in chief, perhaps mere consciousness is voluntary in the Biden administration?
Ian Haworth is a columnist, speaker, and host of “Off Limits.” You can follow him on X at @ighaworth. You can also find him on Substack.