In that singular chain of command that should ensure maximum security, it happens that the president of the United States, Joe Biden, commander in the field of the most powerful army in the world, was not promptly informed by the Pentagon of the not exactly secondary fact that the US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, the minister responsible for the most powerful army in the world, had been hospitalized. And this in a period of very high tension with at least two unpredictable wars (Ukraine and Gaza Strip), not to mention North Korea and Taiwan.
Assuming it is true and in due proportion, it's as if a possible hospitalization of Minister Crosetto was hidden for three days from both Premier Meloni and President Mattarella.
The National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan, along with other senior White House officials, only found out about Austin's hospitalization, 71 years old, decorated former general and veteran of the Iraq war in 2003, three days later: only then was Potus (President of the United States), according to the Politico website, informed.
Sources have claimed that it is highly unlikely that Austin had privately communicated the news to Biden before Sullivan was informed. "If Sullivan didn't know, the president couldn't have known either," said one of them. "Who would have told him about Austin's conditions if not Sullivan? And if someone had told the president, Sullivan would have been his first call," he added.
The release of the not exactly flattering news has pushed the White House to take cover: it was thus announced that President Biden and Secretary Austin had a phone call, naturally using a maximum security line. According to the New York Times, which cites two American executives, Biden has full confidence in the defense secretary and was glad to hear that he is recovering.
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