During testimony before the Senate Armed Services Committee, Austin was pressed by Cotton about accusations of "genocide" in Gaza.

We need a fighting force that is 100 percent competent, both mentally and physically, and this disturbed soldier clearly was not.

The Pentagon said Lloyd Austin’s superiors in the White House were told of his hospitalization, as were those under his direct command.

"This is a time of immense global instability. Our country deserves reliable leadership at the Department."

"And exactly 0 journalists will hold the Biden administration accountable for the dereliction of duty," one social media user wrote.

"I have lost trust in Secretary Lloyd Austin's leadership of the Defense Department," Rep. Chris Deluzio said.

Last week, Pentagon officials had said the secretary of defense underwent an "elective medical procedure," according to The New York Times.

Rep. Matt Rosendale said Lloyd Austin’s failure to disclose his hospitalization potentially put American lives at risk.

Austin was admitted to a Washington-area hospital Monday and reportedly ended up in the intensive care unit for several days.

Hiding the fact that the Secretary of Defense is in the hospital raises a lot of questions, the foremost being, "Why?"