Trump Calls On Biden To Fire Defense Chief For ‘Dereliction Of Duty’

 Former President Donald Trump called on President Joe Biden to fire Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin after the Pentagon chief remained incompetent without informing anyone for several days.

Trump posted on Truth Social on Sunday evening that the defense chief should be "immediately fired" because Austin failed for several days to notify the White House or top national security officials that he was hospitalized. Austin checked into Walter Reed National Military Medical Center last week regarding complications of an elective surgery.

“Failed Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin should be immediately fired for inappropriate professional conduct and dereliction of duty. He has been missing for a week, and no one, including his boss, Crooked Joe Biden, had any clue where he was, or could be,” Trump said. "He has performed poorly, and should have been fired long ago along with 'General' Mark Milley for many reasons, but especially the disastrous surrender in Afghanistan, perhaps the most shameful moment in our country's history!"

Austin checked into Walter Reed on January 1, but never informed the White House, National Security Council, or Congress until January 4. Austin reportedly spent time in the intensive care unit and remained in the hospital recovering over the weekend.

While hospitalized, Austin turned over some of his responsibilities to Deputy Defense Secretary Kathleen Hicks, who was on leave in Puerto Rico at the time. However, Hicks was reportedly left in the dark about Austin's status as well.

Austin released a statement Saturday addressing "media concerns about transparency" during his hospital stay. He did not speak about his failure to directly inform the White House, lawmakers or other top national security officials. He also did not clarify about the elective procedure or the complications that led to his hospitalization.

“I also understand the media's concerns about transparency and I believe I could have done a better job of ensuring the public received appropriate information. I'm committed to getting better,” Austin said. "But it's important to say: This was my medical process, and I take full responsibility for my decisions regarding disclosure."

The top Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee, Senator Roger Wicker of Mississippi, said in a statement over the weekend that the episode was "unacceptable" and demonstrated a "shocking disregard for the law" on the part of the Defense Department.

“The worry is that we now have more questions than answers. 5 U.S.C. Why was the notification process done? 3349 was not followed and who took the decision not to follow it? What role did the Defense Secretary's staff play? “When was the President actually informed?” Vicar said. “What justification did the Department have for withholding information from the National Security Council? To what extent was the Secretary disabled by his surgery?" He said, "The fact that we don't have any of this information is an indictment of an Administration that consistently disregards the authority of Congress on national defense matters."