On Day 1, the Biden White House pledged to “bring transparency and truth back to the government.”
The White House also pledged to “share the truth, even when it’s hard to hear.”
Those words were unbelievable then.
They are laughable now.
The real question is, “Who is in charge?”
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin’s decision to hide his hospitalization from the public, Congress, and even President Joe Biden is a failure of the Secretary’s judgment and the Pentagon’s credibility.
Secretary Austin’s disappearance from the radar is an indictment of the entire Biden administration.
Once again, a high-ranking official in the Biden administration acted as if the rules don’t apply to them.
Since the beginning of the year, American service members have faced attacks in Iraq and Syria. In the Red Sea, conflict intensified when Iranian-backed terrorists launched drone and missile attacks on our troops.
Who was in charge while America’s finest were under attack and Secretary Austin was M.I.A.?
Remember, Secretary Austin entered intensive care on Jan. 1, and for 72 hours, no one knew about it.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken said he “wasn’t aware” that Secretary Austin was in the hospital.
Deputy Defense Secretary Kathleen Hicks, who assumed some of Secretary Austin’s duties, was completely unaware for several days and was vacationing in Puerto Rico.
Congress was not told until minutes before the Pentagon issued a vague public statement.
Top Pentagon officials negligently withheld the news from President Biden – the Commander in Chief – for several days.
The Pentagon now says there is “no standard protocol for when to announce a defense secretary’s hospitalization or temporary inability to do the job.”
Maybe, but all Secretary Austin had to do was pick up the phone. In fact, his staff had the opportunity to inform the White House several times.
President Biden apparently still has “full confidence” in his Defense Secretary. This is the same flawed Biden standard that follows every Biden disaster. This includes the deadly Afghanistan withdrawal and the late detection of the Chinese spy balloon.
Biden’s cabinet continues to be scandal-plagued.
Vice President Kamala Harris was assigned as Biden’s Border Czar, yet she has visited the border only once in three years.
The attorney general faces questions about his politicization of the Justice Department. The Homeland Security secretary is under fire for his mishandling of the border, which has allowed more than 8.8 million illegal immigrants to cross into our country in three years.
The secretary of energy is facing scrutiny about her conflicts of interest in her investments and lying about them to Congress. The acting secretary of labor is unable to secure confirmation from a Democratic Senate.
The secretary of transportation makes one excuse after another for failing to promptly visit victims of a toxic train crash in Ohio.
The list goes on and on.
These scandals reflect a president who is out of touch and an administration that is out of control.
The American people know Biden is an idle, indifferent, and incompetent president.
That is why Gallup reports that President Biden ended 2023 with a 39 percent approval rating. This is the worst rating on record of any modern president at this point in their first term.
It is also why 70 percent of Americans believe the country is on the wrong track.
Americans know that Joe Biden is not up to the job. As President of the United States, the buck is supposed to stop with him.
The Biden administration failed its Day 1 pledge to “share the truth.” Americans are left to suffer the consequences.
Mr. Barrasso of Wyoming is Chairman of the Senate Republican Conference.
The views and opinions expressed in this commentary are those of the author and do not reflect the official position of the Daily Caller.
SEN. JOHN BARRASSO: Who’s In Charge Here?
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16.01.2024
On Day 1, the Biden White House pledged to “bring transparency and truth back to the government.”
The White House also pledged to “share the truth, even when it’s hard to hear.”
Those words were unbelievable then.
They are laughable now.
The real question is, “Who is in charge?”
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin’s decision to hide his hospitalization from the public, Congress, and even President Joe Biden is a failure of the Secretary’s judgment and the Pentagon’s credibility.
Secretary Austin’s disappearance from the radar is an indictment of the entire Biden administration.
Once again, a high-ranking official in the Biden administration acted as if the rules don’t apply to them.
Since the beginning of the year, American service members have faced attacks in Iraq and Syria. In the Red Sea, conflict intensified when Iranian-backed terrorists launched drone and missile attacks on our troops.
Who was in charge while America’s........
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