Former Vice-President Joe Biden had recently appointed Retired Gen. Lloyd Austin to lead the Department of Defense. Unfortunately, there are several concerns about Austin’s nomination, including how he had undermined ISIS.

During the Senate confirmation hearing, Austin continued to deny the allegations that he had downplayed the threats against the Islamic State. The report came after the Retired General ended his tenure in 2017 as the commander of U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM). Basically, CENTCOM is responsible for directing military operations in the Middle East as well as deploying strategies to defeat ISIS.

According to the report, witnesses shared that Austin does not generally like to receive any negative news about ISIS. In fact, the witnesses claimed that the general wanted to paint a “rosier’’ picture of the U.S.’s fight against ISIS. The report reads, “These witnesses believed that GEN Austin was the source of pressure to present a rosier picture of the effects of USCENTCOM’s operations against ISIL.”

Worse, Austin had also advised former U.S. President Barack Obama that the issue about ISIS was nothing more than a ”flash in the pan” during a White House briefing. The former General statements eventually shaped the Obama administration’s policy against ISIS. Later on, Obama himself even stated that ISIS should be treated as akin to a “JV” basketball team, As a result, the Islamic State continued to spread throughout the Middle East including Iraq and Syria. The terrorist organization was able to take roots and establish a strong online network of sympathizers.

The report also noted that an anonymous source claimed that between October 22-24, 2014, Austin proudly declared in a CENTCOM that they will easily beat the terrorist organization. However, he urged that the U.S. should be able to maintain its narrative.

On the other hand, the Biden appointee continued to deny the allegations. He argued that in order to win against ISIS, they cannot simply “rosy”’ up the narrative. The former general had since repeatedly denied the accusations. In a 2016 article in the Atlantic, Austin turned down reports that he had attempted to downplay the grave threats from ISIS. In addition, Austin’s spokesperson also told the media outlet that the former general never considered ISIS as a “flash in the pan.”

Even former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton tried to deny that the Obama administration had downplayed the grave threats against ISIS. In an interview in 2015, Clinton even suggested that it was no use to turn back and relieve the old events.

As Biden’s transition team prepares to take over the White House, the former Vice-President is set to overturn President Donald Trump’s agendas including immigration, and will possibly appoint someone who stood against the President’s beliefs, specifically on immigration.