Given that we're entering another year with the war in Ukraine, an escalating war in Israel, and growing tensions with China, it's crucial who leads the White House and the various defense cabinet positions. It's also important to know when someone goes missing in top leadership. This is a bizarre thing to describe needing to know, but it's precisely what happened.

In a shocking news release, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin was hospitalized after a "minor, elective procedure" and had complications arising from that. The White House says it only learned of this hospitalization three days after it occurred, and no one even knew he wasn't on the job.

The Hospitalization No One Knew About

Allegedly, not even Austin's deputy, Kathleen Hicks, even knew he was hospitalized. He went into the hospital on December 22, 2023, and remains there. She didn't assume his duties until after the new year and was on vacation in Puerto Rico.

The nation didn't have a working Secretary of Defense for well over a week. He informed no one and transferred power to no one until he remained in the hospital. And again - he's still in the hospital for whatever happened from this procedure.

I wish Lloyd Austin nothing but the best and quickest recovery. I don't think anyone wishes ill health on him. But Secretary of State is a massive job, and multiple large conflicts are happening across the globe. It's not like the wars in Ukraine and Gaza take a day off just because there are holidays in the United States.

The United States has so many officials and deputies so that we can ensure everything functions should someone be out for any reason. If your boss or an employee vanishes for multiple days without a word, you will have questions.

How Is This Even Possible?

Or, at least, I hope you would have questions. That brings us to the next level of absurdity - no one in the White House noticed that the Defense Secretary was nowhere to be found.

What is happening in the White House where the President, Vice President, Secretary of State, or anyone in the White House does not know that their Defense Secretary wasn't there?

Is there anyone working in this administration? The New York Post Editorial Board hit the nail on the head, "And that Biden and Sullivan — heck, the entire National Security Council — didn't even notice is beyond damning: It's proof positive that the safety of the country, and of US forces now drawing combat pay, is off their radar for days (at least) at a time."

It's a serious issue because US Troops are actively being attacked by Iranian-funded terrorist groups across the Middle East. It's perfectly fine if he needs a medical procedure - that's not the problem. He disappeared from his post, and no one in the White House or Washington DC noticed or asked questions.

Biden's White House Proves Incapable, Again

I've written in the past that there are moments with this President where you question whether or not anyone is actually pulling the levers of the office. This administration goes through periods where the most basic actions you'd expect from a politician get missed. I've called Biden the "President who isn't there" before, and this is one of those times.

No one expects the President of the United States to keep tabs on where every person is at all times. But I expect him to communicate with his cabinet officials and various agencies throughout the week. These events undercut that notion severely.

You can apparently be the Defense Secretary in this White House, and no one notices you're missing for days or weeks at a shot. At a bare minimum, you'd expect a President to have regular contact with these people to remain informed on his job. But that's been undercut, too.

Who Is Running This White House?

What exactly is Biden doing in the White House? Who is running things? All the news reports talk about how Biden and the White House are mad they didn't know about Austin's medical leave. I get that and agree with them on it. But why didn't anyone in the White House regularly contact the Pentagon to bring this or other things up?

I get the White House's anger, but Austin's disappearance is on them. This entire episode is reminiscent of the former governor of South Carolina, Mark Sanford, who disappeared for another week. His staff claimed he was hiking the Appalachian Trail. But it turned out he was having a secret affair.

In that case, local media noticed he was nowhere to be found and kept asking questions. In this situation, neither the White House nor the DC press corps asked any questions or noticed it.

Everyone in that city seems used to someone not working in an office for a while. If that didn't raise eyebrows for anyone until it got revealed to the public, what else are they not asking questions about?

This story begins with Lloyd Austin making a poor decision. But the further you dig, the worse it looks for the White House and everyone associated with covering it.