Pence calls defense secretary's undisclosed hospitalization a 'dereliction of duty'

Former Vice President Mike Pence (R) criticized the undisclosed hospitalization of Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin as a "failure of responsibility." In a Sunday interview, Pence aired these concerns, first wishing Austin a speedy recovery before condemning the lack of transparency around Austin's condition. Speaking on CNN's "State of the Union," Pence insisted that the American public deserved to know the specifics of Austin's health situation. He urged Austin and the Biden administration to release all relevant details about Austin's hospital stay, which remained undisclosed as of Sunday morning. Austin has been in the hospital since the start of the new year. Pence expressed his concern that, given the current military conflicts involving U.S. allies in Eastern Europe and Israel, it was unacceptable for the head of the Pentagon to be unavailable for several days without informing the President. He labelled the situation a "failure of responsibility" and called on the administration to come clean to the public. It was revealed that Austin was admitted to Walter Reed Army Medical Center on Monday evening after suffering complications from a recent elective procedure. Austin addressed the lack of transparency surrounding his hospitalization in a statement on Saturday, acknowledging the frustration felt by many. "I am very grateful to be recovering and look forward to resuming my duties at the Pentagon soon," stated Austin. He further acknowledged the media's concerns about transparency, admitted to inadequacies in maintaining public awareness, and pledged to improve.