U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin speaks during a meeting with Australian Defense Minister Richard Marles and British Defense Secretary Ben Wallace at the Pentagon in Washington, U.S., December 7, 2022.
Kevin Lamarque | Reuters
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has been hospitalized since Jan. 1 for complications following a surgery to treat prostate cancer, officials at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center said Tuesday.
The news of Austin’s treatment and condition came after a tortuous week during which Austin was hospitalized, but the Pentagon refused to say why.
Austin underwent the initial prostate cancer surgery on Dec. 25, during which he was under general anesthesia, according to doctors from Walter Reed.
On Jan. 1, Austin experienced complications from the surgery including nausea and severe abdominal, hip and leg pain, which was later identified as a urinary tract infection. On Jan. 2, he was admitted to the intensive care unit at Walter Reed where he was treated for intestinal issues.
Austin, who is sixth in line for the presidency, did not disclose his emergency hospitalization to White House officials until Jan. 4, a lapse in communication that comes with national security risks. The cause of his hospital stay was unknown until Tuesday’s announcement.
The major notification failures and questions, still unanswered, about Austin’s delegation of command have shaken confidence in Austin on Capitol Hill, and led to calls for his resignation by some lawmakers.
“Secretary Austin has taken responsibility for the issues with transparency, and the Department is taking immediate steps to improve our notification procedures,” said Pentagon Press Secretary Air Force Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder at a press briefing Tuesday.
As part of this, Austin’s chief of staff has instructed Pentagon officials to conduct a “30-day review of the department’s notification process for assumption of functions and duties of the Secretary of Defense,” Ryder added.
Austin has said he will not resign from his post and the White House has backed him.
President Joe Biden stood by Austin amid the calls for him to step down. National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said Monday that there were no plans to replace Austin. White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre assured that Biden maintained “complete confidence” in the defense secretary.
Biden and Austin spoke by phone Saturday evening, according to a senior administration official who described it as “a warm conversation.”
The Pentagon on Tuesday could not say whether Austin had informed the president of his cancer before Tuesday’s official announcement.
“I’d have to refer you to the White House. I just don’t know the timeline,” Ryder said.
Austin’s secret hospitalization came at a time when the U.S. was weighing and executing several major national security measures, including military strikes in the Middle East.
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