Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin was hospitalized with bladder-related symptoms, the Pentagon announced. Pentagon press secretary Major General Pat Ryder said security personnel took Austin to the hospital at around 2:20 p.m. on February 11.
Mr. Ryder noted that Mr. Austin remains on duty for now and that Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks is available to take over if called upon.
US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin. (Photo: AP)
The White House and Congress , as well as several other Pentagon officials, including the deputy secretary of defense and the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, have been informed of Austin's hospitalization.
Austin was previously diagnosed with prostate cancer in early December 2023 and treated at Walter Reed in late December. He was returned to the hospital on New Year's Day 2024 after complications from surgery.
However, at that time, the Pentagon admitted that it did not promptly notify President Joe Biden's administration and the public about Mr. Austin's hospitalization.
The US defense secretary’s hospitalization without informing President Joe Biden and other senior administration officials for days has raised major questions about transparency within the administration. Republicans have criticized the Pentagon’s handling of information about Austin’s illness, and the defense secretary is scheduled to testify before the House Armed Services Committee in late February about the issue.
On February 1, in his first press conference since being hospitalized, Mr. Austin admitted that the way he handled the situation when he had to be hospitalized for treatment was lacking.
“We did not handle this properly. I should have informed the President about my cancer diagnosis. I should have communicated with my team and the American public. I take full responsibility. I apologize to my colleagues and to the American people,” the Pentagon chief said.
Kong Anh (Source: CNN)
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