Where in the World is U.S. Defense Sec. Lloyd Austin?

Austin’s mysterious absence couldn’t have come at a worse time.

President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, who is on a visit to Ukraine. The U.S. delegation also included Commander of the U.S. European Command and Supreme Allied Commander Europe Christopher Cavoli. November 20, 2023. (Photo: President Of Ukraine)

“The Lloyd Austin fallout is growing: ‘Someone’s head has to roll,’” warned Alexander Ward, Lara Seligman, and Jonathan Lemire for Politico on January 7, 2024. “The defense chief is facing criticism for keeping his bosses in the dark about his hospitalization.”

“At a White House meeting last week, Jake Sullivan, the national security adviser, noticed that Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin was absent,” the trio began the strange tale. “A top Pentagon official, Sasha Baker, was there in his place.”

“But what neither Sullivan nor Baker knew at that moment was that Austin was already hospitalized at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, with complications from an undisclosed surgical procedure,” they revealed dramatically.

Other top Pentagon officials, it has since been reported, were also in the dark about Austin’s absence.

“Pentagon’s №2 not told of Austin hospitalization when she assumed his duties,” disclosed Caitlin Yilek for CBS this morning.

“Austin has been hospitalized since Jan. 1 due to complications following a minor elective medical procedure, the Pentagon said Friday in its first acknowledgment of the hospitalization,” wrote Yilek. “Austin spent…