Reed: Tuberville military holds may have contributed to Marine commandant’s hospitalization
The situation shows “the fallacy and the danger” of the Alabama senator’s tactics, the Senate Armed Services chair said.
By JOE GOULD and CONNOR O’BRIEN
10/31/2023 03:02 PM EDT
A top Senate Democrat said that the Marine Corps commandant’s recent medical emergency may be due in part to the fallout from Sen. Tommy Tuberville’s hold on top military promotions, which has forced several top officers to hold down multiple jobs.
Senate Armed Services Chair Jack Reed (D-R.I.) leveled the accusation a day after the service disclosed that Gen. Eric Smith, a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, was hospitalized on Sunday. There was no immediate word of when Smith would be released or return to work.
“One of the reasons, I think contributed to his condition was he was doing two jobs at once,” Reed said in a brief interview. “I’ve read where he was working from 5 a.m. to 11 p.m. As a result, if he had, as is normal, an assistant, he could switch off.”
The New York Times, citing people familiar, said Smith had an apparent heart attack while jogging on Sunday. The service has declined to go into specifics, citing the family’s privacy.
https://www.politico.com/news/2023/10/31/reed-tuberville-military-marine-hospitalization-00124548
