Anger Over A Secret Hospitalization, A Hunter Biden Sighting, And A Contentious Civil Trial: The Biggest Political Stories Of The Week

After another week of headlines, it can be hard to parse through and find the most important political stories of the week. Many stories slip through the cracks as the media pulls Americans’ attention elsewhere. The following list of the week’s top stories is far from expansive, but just in case you missed them, here are some of the biggest stories The Daily Wire covered from Sunday, January 7, to Friday, January 12, 2024.

Fallout From Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin’s Secret Hospitalization

(Volodymyr Tarasov / Ukrinform/Future Publishing via Getty Images)

At the end of last week, the public was made aware of Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin’s medical complications and hospital stay. It turns out President Joe Biden and other top officials in the administration were also told the alarming news around same time the public was informed. 

U.S. officials reportedly told POLITICO that White House officials, such as National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan, didn’t know about Austin’s hospital stay, which included some time in the intensive care unit, until Thursday of last week, three days after the Defense secretary was admitted to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. 

“This should not have happened this way,” one of the officials told POLITICO.

Earlier this week, doctors at Walter Reed released a statement, revealing that Austin was hospitalized after experiencing complications from a urinary tract infection. The statement also said that Austin was treated in late December for prostate cancer.

“Nobody at the White House knew that Secretary Austin had prostate cancer until this morning and the President was informed immediately after we were informed,” Kirby said last Friday. 

The 70-year-old Defense secretary and the Biden administration were slammed by both the Right and the Left with some lawmakers calling for Austin to resign. 

“I have lost trust in Secretary Lloyd Austin’s leadership of the Defense Department due to the lack of transparency about his recent medical treatment and its impact on the continuity of the chain of command,” said Rep. Chris Deluzio (D-PA).

Biden Ramps Up Attacks On Trump And His Supporters

Sean Rayford/Getty Images

For the second time in as many weeks, the president went after former President Donald Trump and his supporters as the 2024 campaign heats up. On Monday, Biden spoke to his supporters at Mother Emanuel AME church in Charleston, South Carolina, the site of the 2015 race-fueled shooting that killed nine black members of the church. Much of the speech focused on Trump as Biden compared his political rival and his supporters to “defeated Confederates,” adding that Trump poses a threat to “democracy.”

“After the Civil War, the defeated Confederates couldn’t accept the verdict of the war, they lost. So they say they embraced what is known as the lost cause, the self-serving lie that the Civil War was not about slavery but about states’ rights. They call that the noble cause. That was a lie,” Biden said adding, “So let me be clear, slavery was the cause of the Civil War. There is no negation about that.”

“Now, we’re living in an era of a second lost cause,” the president added. “Once again, there are some in this country trying to turn a loss into a lie. A lie which if allowed to live will once again bring terrible damage to this country. This time the lie is about the 2020 election.”

Speaking from Mother Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, Biden draws a line through the "lost cause" campaign of post-Civil War confederates and the lies spread by MAGA Republicans following January 6th. pic.twitter.com/2AckmSBdf1

— CAP Action (@CAPAction) January 8, 2024

Surprise Hunter Biden Appearance At Congressional Hearing

Sparks flew at a Congressional hearing on Wednesday when Hunter Biden surprisingly showed up while lawmakers were meeting to consider a resolution to hold him in contempt of Congress for defying a subpoena. House Republicans subpoenaed Biden in November as they continue their impeachment probe into his father and look into the Biden family’s foreign business dealings. 

The drama on Wednesday began after the president’s son walked into the room and sat down with his lawyers. Rep. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.) then went into a tirade directed at Biden, calling him “the epitome of white privilege” and calling for his arrest.

.@RepNancyMace: "Who bribed Hunter Biden to be here today? That's my first question. Second question, you are the epitome of white privilege…what are you afraid of? You have no balls to come up here…" pic.twitter.com/Wd9WbMP5bJ

— CSPAN (@cspan) January 10, 2024

Biden lasted just 30 minutes in the hearing before he and his legal team rose from their seats and left, prompting more criticism from Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA). 

“I think it’s clear and obvious for everyone watching this hearing today that Hunter Biden is terrified of strong conservative Republican women because he can’t even face my words as I was about to speak to him. What a coward,” Greene said.

Closing Arguments In Trump’s New York Civil Business Fraud Trial 

Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images

Former President Donald Trump was in Manhattan for much of the week as he and his legal team stood before Judge Arthur Engoron and delivered closing arguments in his civil business fraud trial case.

Initially, Trump had planned to give his own closing argument on Thursday, a highly unusual proposal since defendants rarely give a closing argument if they have lawyers to represent them. Nevertheless, one of Trump’s attorneys told Engoron that the former president wanted to speak during the closing arguments, a source told The Associated Press. But the plan fell apart. 

In an email Wednesday afternoon, Engoron informed Trump’s lawyer Chris Kise that since he did not hear from Trump’s team “by the third extended deadline (noon today), I assume that Mr. Trump will not agree to the reasonable, lawful limits that I have imposed as a precondition to giving a closing statement above and beyond those given by his attorneys, and that, therefore, he will not be speaking in court tomorrow.” 

Trump’s lawyers had objected to Engoron’s insistence that Trump speaks only to “relevant” matters if he gives his own closing argument.

Despite Engoron barring the former president from giving his own summation, Trump got in a few words anyway, launching into a six-minute-long speech where he slammed both Engoron and New York Attorney General Letitia James, according to the Associated Press.

The lawsuit against Trump, brought by James, alleges that Trump, along with Donald Trump Jr., Eric Trump, and Ivanka Trump, misled the value of his company’s assets in financial statements “over 200 times in 10 years.” Initially, James sought $250 million in fines for Trump, but according to a brief filed last week, James is now asking the judge to fine Trump more than $370 million. 

Engoron, who has already rescinded some of Trump’s business licenses in New York, is expected to a verdict in the trial later this month. 

Texas National Guard Takes Control Of Area Near Southern Border, Blocks Feds

On Thursday evening, the Texas National Guard took over Shelby Park in Eagle Pass, Texas, a location where illegal immigrants have crossed in large numbers as the border crisis worsens under President Joe Biden.

According to Fox News’ Bill Melugin, the Texas National Guard was also “restricting Border Patrol from accessing the area, saying the Feds ‘perpetuate illegal crossings.’”

NEW: The Texas Military Department confirms the TX National Guard has seized control of Shelby Park in Eagle Pass (city property where mass illegal crossings are), and is restricting Border Patrol from accessing the area, saying the Feds “perpetuate illegal crossings”. This is… pic.twitter.com/29UqFmWDsx

— Bill Melugin (@BillMelugin_) January 12, 2024

The Texas Military Department and Republican Governor Greg Abbott confirmed the report with Abbott saying, “we are making clear that Texas will be a tough place to cross.” The state took action after the Biden administration has fought Texas on enforcing immigration laws with federal agents even removing barbed wire put up by the state to prevent illegal border crossings.  

Some more of this week’s biggest political stories include:

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READ: Trump Joins Fox News Town Hall

READ: DeSantis, Haley Trade Barbs In Contentious GOP Debate