The U.S. is monitoring more national security threats than at any point since World War II and last week, U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin went to the hospital because of complications from a recent survey.
But no one told the President for three days.
In this episode, Hagar Chemali (Former spokesperson for the U.S. Mission to the UN) joins Ron Steslow to discuss Austin’s hospitalization and the delay in telling the White House.
Segments to look forward to:
(01:45) Ron sets the stage with a rundown of the timeline of Sec. Austin’s hospitalization and when the White House was informed
(03:13) Hagar breaks down her initial reaction to the news and the political and media uproar
(05:00) The role of the Secretary of Defense in national security and what risks Austin’s absence could have posed
(06:43) Hagar provides an overview of the current national security climate, including the rising tension in the Middle East, the ongoing war in Ukraine, the situation in China and Taiwan and places Austin’s hospitalization in this broader context.
(14:11) The standard protocols for handling this situation within government agencies
(33:11) Analyzing the political and public relations fallout from the incident, and how it could impact domestic politics and foreign policy
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