Calls for Defense Secretary Austin to Resign Are Attacks on Black Success

There is no shortage of right-wing attacks on Black leaders right now. Claudine Gay was forced to resign as president of Harvard University following claims of plagiarism and the usual railing against diversity, equity, and inclusion. Vice President Kamala Harris is consistently deemed a diversity hire and said to be missing-in-action, although her schedule is chock full of public engagements. But the latest attack just may be the worst, with the first Black secretary of defense, Lloyd Austin, facing scrutiny following an emergency medical procedure at Walter Reed Medical Center.

Today it was announced that on Dec. 22 Austin underwent minimally invasive surgery—a prostatectomy—to treat prostate cancer. His diagnosis was early, and his prognosis is excellent. This should be welcome news, especially considering the statistics on prostate cancer for Black men.

Black men are nearly two times more likely to be diagnosed with—and more than two as likely to die from—prostate cancer than white men, according to ZeroCancer.org. Furthermore, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) finds, African-American men have the highest incidence of prostate cancer in the world.

Austin’s early detection and swift action saved his life. But that’s not what conservatives or those who drank the anti-DEI Kool-Aid want you to know. Instead, they want to use his temporary incapacity to bring down the secretary.

Congressional Republicans, former President Donald Trump and conservative media are calling for Austin’s resignation in the wake of his “secretive” procedure. Neither the White House, nor key Pentagon officials were informed of Austin’s hospitalization until three days after he checked in. Austin, a decorated military leader known for following orders as well as giving them, was faced with a life altering health scare and he sought and received treatment. That’s the story. Austin has always been a private person and I’m sure his doctors gave him every assurance that his procedure would not only be successful but that he’d be on his feet again in no time. But these details don’t matter to conservatives who want to eradicate all Black leaders from positions of power. Their crusade never ends.

For Austin’s part, he made sure that his second in command, Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks was informed, even if she was on vacation. This is much ado about nothing. There is simply no need for an investigation. And aren’t Republicans done with fruitless, endless rooting around that leads to nothing at this point?

But that isn’t stopping the shrill calls for Austin’s resignation.

A tweet from the chair of the House Republican Caucus, Rep. Elise Stafanik (R-NY), encapsulated the right-wing furor,, “Israel is fighting to eradicate Hamas terrorists. Iran-backed militias routinely attack U.S. bases in the Middle East. China and Taiwan tensions escalate with each passing day. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin must resign immediately for the sake of America’s national security.”

Yeah, well, Austin isn’t resigning. President Biden says he isn’t expecting it nor would he accept such a resignation. And for Stefanik, who called Jan. 6 insurrectionists currently serving time for their actions, “hostages” when there are actual American hostages being held by Hamas right now, its hard to take her seriously.

Austin has his hands full in leading operations across the Middle East, ascertaining threat levels with China, Russia, and Ukraine, as well as terrorist threats globally. His duties aren’t small, but neither is his record of achievement as a four-star Army general, 12^th Commander of U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) or strategist in wartime across multiple regions.

From leading U.S. and coalition efforts in Iraq and Syria in the fight against ISIS to commanding all military efforts in the Middle East and Afghanistan, Austin has earned his stripes and America’s reverence. He is a true patriot and when faced with a personal health scare of a kind that has claimed the lives of far too many Black men in the U.S. and abroad, Austin once again made the right call.

Instead of pushing for his resignation and pointless investigations, Republicans should be thanking him for his service and commitment to the protecting this country. But maybe common decency, respect, and a bit of empathy are too much to ask for in a polarizing election year.

Ameshia Cross is a democratic strategist for national, state and local campaigns, a regular political commentator and contributor on MSN, NBC, BBC, SiriusXM, iHeart Radio and more. She is also a former campaign and communications advisor for President Obama.

The views expressed in this article are the writer’s own.