U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin acknowledged his responsibility for keeping his hospitalization this week a secret for days amid reports that senior officials, including President Joe Biden, were unaware of his health complications that prevented him from performing his duties.
The Defense Department waited until Friday to reveal that Austin, 70, had been admitted to Walter Reed Military Hospital near Washington on Monday evening due to complications following a non-emergency medical procedure, without specifying the nature of the complications or how long he stayed in the hospital.
Austin's concealment of his health status for days breached the established protocol for similar situations.
NBC News reported that the Defense Secretary remained in intensive care for four days. By Saturday, there had been no disclosure about when he would be discharged from the hospital.
Austin admitted in a statement on Saturday that he could have "acted better to ensure the public was properly informed". He stated, "I commit to doing better," confirming that he would soon return to the Pentagon.
Politico reported that Austin had spent three days in the hospital before Pentagon officials informed U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan and other senior White House officials.
The publication noted that Congress was informed of Austin's hospital admission just 15 minutes before the official statement issued last Friday.
Full Confidence
A White House official refrained from discussing the details of Biden's briefing on his Defense Secretary's hospitalization on Saturday, affirming that they "spoke this evening and had a friendly conversation". The official assured Agence France-Presse that "the President has full confidence in Secretary Austin and is looking forward to his return to the Pentagon".
The issue has sparked criticisms from Republicans. Senator Tom Cotton, a member of the congressional Armed Services Committee, said there should be "consequences" for this matter.
The Pentagon Press Association expressed "serious concerns" about a potential cover-up attempt.
In a message to the Pentagon spokesperson, the Association stated that Americans have "the right to know when members of the U.S. government are admitted to the hospital, when they are under anesthesia, or when their duties are delegated due to any medical procedure".
