The Pentagon concealed the truth about Lloyd Austin’s illness from the Americans, the White House, and Congress for most of last week, sparking widespread political criticism.
Austin’s representative, Kathleen Hicks, also remained in the dark for several days, even after she was asked during a vacation in Puerto Rico to take over some of his duties on January 2.
White House spokesman John Kirby said, “President Biden was not informed until last (Thursday) that Secretary Austin was in the hospital. He was not informed until this morning (Tuesday) that the primary reason for his hospitalization was prostate cancer.”
He added, “No one in the White House knew that Secretary Austin had prostate cancer until this morning, and the president was informed immediately after that.”
Austin and Biden spoke on Saturday, and it is not yet clear why Biden did not learn until Tuesday that Austin was infected.
From the beach of Puerto Rico
Thus began a series of events regarding the health of the US Secretary of Defense, as he was forced to stay in the hospital, and his deputy was forced to assume his duties from the coast of Puerto Rico.
During Austin’s hospital stay, the White House and senior Defense Department officials were unaware who was actually in charge of the Pentagon, the Wall Street Journal reported.
When the news of the US Secretary of Defense staying in the hospital spread, there were angry reactions from the public. Many members of Congress, including some Democrats, expressed anger that the matter was not announced in a timely manner. Senior White House and Defense Department officials were particularly angry at the lack of transparency regarding Austin’s case, according to the widely circulated American newspaper.
Unanswered questions
According to the newspaper, many questions remain regarding the events surrounding Austin’s hospital stay, including who was actually responsible, when, and why were they not revealed better?
When President Joe Biden was finally informed of the details of the Secretary of Defense’s health condition, it had been more than a week since Austin (age 70) had been hospitalized due to complications resulting from a previous surgery to treat prostate cancer, and more than three weeks since his first stay in… Hospital before Christmas.
Austin first entered Walter Reed Medical Center on December 22, for surgery to remove his prostate, which required him to undergo general anesthesia.
Many of Austin’s key aides were unaware that he was undergoing a medical procedure that required him to stay in the hospital overnight, but authority was transferred to Hicks to direct the Defense Department during surgery, Pentagon officials said.
On the evening of Monday, January 1, Austin suffered severe abdominal pain and was quickly transported by ambulance to Walter Reed, where he was placed in the intensive care unit, according to the US Department of Defense.
Once there, Austin was diagnosed with a urinary tract infection and fluid collections in his abdominal area, and he remained in the intensive care unit for several days.
The next day, January 2, Hicks, who was ashore in Puerto Rico with her family, was informed by the Department of Defense that she needed to take over some of Austin’s duties. The request was surprising given that Hicks had carefully planned her vacation in advance and would normally have to be in Washington if she were to assume the duties of defense secretary.
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2024-01-11 11:48:45
