The Issue: Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin’s “secret” hospitalization after complications from elective surgery.
Last month, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin had a prostatectomy to treat prostate cancer (“Pentagon totally off guard on MIA chief,” Jan. 10).
After the surgery, he came down with an infection. The next thing he should have done was tell someone so the Defense Department could have continued running as normal. He should not have kept his condition a secret from Biden.
That said, I pray for his recovery. On a personal note, I battled aggressive prostate cancer six years ago. I had to have my prostate removed so the cancer would not spread to other organs. I was lucky the doctors found the cancer early, as I believe is the case with Austin. I wish him good health.
Frederick Bedell Jr.
Bellerose
Leadership in Washington is becoming more farcical by the day. The “missing in action” defense secretary doesn’t project an image of confidence to the American people.
At present, the US military is involved in several conflicts around the world. That Austin neglected to inform his superiors of his condition was short-sighted.
This kind of decision making by top military brass is not what Americans need in wartime. The story here is not about prostate cancer: It’s about a lack of responsibility. Austin’s resignation is in order.
Ronald G. Frank
West Orange, NJ
In misplacing Austin for a couple days, the Biden administration has once again demonstrated its ineptitude. While Austin was hiding his prostate-cancer diagnosis from the press, we could have stumbled into a nuclear exchange with Russia.
Now that we’re all on the same page, we need to know the details about Austin’s health. It’s possible that his condition is too precarious for him to keep his job.
Ron Spurga
Manhattan
If this recent debacle isn’t a microcosm of the Biden administration’s incompetence, I don’t know what is. Are Biden and Austin not in touch on a daily basis? Doesn’t Austin have a chief of staff?
We are involved in two proxy wars, and the defense secretary is incommunicado for multiple days. This was a dereliction of duty.
Charlie Honadel
Venice, Fla.
Upon President Biden’s election in 2020, the sentiment of the press was that the grown-ups were back in charge.
Since then, Biden’s administration has fumbled and bumbled its way through the economy, foreign affairs and the border.
The latest embarrassment is Secretary Austin’s hospitalization — which lasted for days — unbeknownst to the president and senior administration officials.
With all that’s going on in the world, one would think that there would be constant communication among senior officials, but that doesn’t seem to be the case. It raises a question: Who exactly is in charge?
Peter W. Kelly
Hazlet, NJ
Lloyd Austin should resign. There are no excuses for failing to inform the president, especially at a time when our nation is dealing with so many conflicts.
Austin has probably lost the confidence of the president and the respect of the Pentagon. He’s certainly lost the trust of a decent portion of the American people.
Ed Houlihan
Ridgewood, NJ
Can anyone please explain how Austin still has a job (“Penta-gone missing, how?!” Jan. 9)?
He allegedly failed to notify the White House chain of command of his hospitalization. Moreover, with the Middle East effectively on fire and the Ukrainian offensive stalled, how is it that the president never tried to speak with his defense secretary for days on end?
As Rich Lowry points out in The Post, since Austin didn’t get fired over the Afghanistan withdrawal, we shouldn’t expect him to lose his job for going AWOL (as any low-ranking soldier would).
With all their intelligence on us, I bet the Chinese and the Russians knew where Austin was the whole time. Yet President Biden remained in the dark.
Kenneth Fitzgerald
Hicksville
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