Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin remained in the hospital Sunday as more details were revealed about key decision-makers, even President Joe Biden, left in the dark for days while the Pentagon chief was in the intensive care unit of the Walter Reed Military Medical Center.
The Pentagon’s failure to disclose Austin’s hospitalization reflects a glaring lack of transparency about his illness, its severity and when he might be released. Such secrecy, at a time when the United States is grappling with myriad national security crises, runs counter to normal practices with the president and other senior U.S. officials and cabinet members.
A senior Defense official said Deputy Defense Secretary Kathleen Hicks was not informed until Thursday that Austin had been hospitalized since Jan. 1. Once informed, Hicks began preparing statements to send to Congress and planned to return to Washington, the official said. Hicks was on leave in Puerto Rico but had communications equipment with her to stay in touch and had already been assigned some secretary duties Tuesday.
The Pentagon did not say whether Hicks received an explanation Tuesday for why she was assuming some of Austin’s duties, but temporary transfers of authority are not unusual and the official said he was not not uncommon for authorities to be transferred without detailed explanation. Hicks decided not to return after being informed that Austin would return to full control on Friday. The official was not authorized to provide details about the transfer of authority and spoke on condition of anonymity.
Biden also was not informed of Austin’s hospitalization until he was briefed on Thursday by his national security adviser, Jake Sullivan. That’s according to three people with knowledge of the hospitalization who were not authorized to speak publicly and spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity.
In a statement released Saturday evening, Austin took responsibility for the notification delays.
“I recognize that I could have done a better job ensuring that the public was properly informed. I am committed to doing better,” Austin said, acknowledging concerns about transparency. “But it’s important to say: This was my medical procedure and I take full responsibility for my decisions regarding disclosure.”
Austin, 70, remained hospitalized due to complications following a minor medical procedure, his press secretary said, as it became increasingly clear how much information the Pentagon had about his stay at Walter Reed . In his statement, Austin said he was on the mend and looked forward to returning to the Pentagon soon, but he provided no further details about his illness.
Sen. Roger Wicker, the top Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee, said the episode eroded trust in the Biden administration and called on the department to immediately provide lawmakers with a “full accounting of the facts.”
“I am happy to hear that Secretary Austin is doing better and wish him a speedy recovery. The fact remains that the Ministry of Defense deliberately hid the state of health of the Secretary of Defense for several days. This is unacceptable,” Wicker said in a statement.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken expressed his support for Austin at a news conference in Qatar on Sunday.
“He is an extraordinary leader in this country, in uniform and now out of uniform. And it’s been a highlight of my service to be able to serve alongside him,” Blinken said. “And I really look forward to seeing him fully recovered and working side by side over the coming year.”
The Pentagon Press Association, which represents journalists who cover the Defense Department, sent a letter of protest Friday evening, calling the delay in alerting the public a “scandal.”
“At a time when the U.S. military in the Middle East is increasingly under threat and the United States plays a key national security role in the wars in Israel and Ukraine, it is especially critical that the public American is informed of the state of health of its soldiers. and the decision-making capacity of its top defense executive,” the PPA said in its letter.
Other senior U.S. leaders have been much more transparent about hospital stays. When Attorney General Merrick Garland underwent a routine medical procedure in 2022, his office notified the public a week in advance and indicated how long he was expected to be out and when he would return to work.
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Associated Press writers Zeke Miller, Michael Balsamo and Lolita C. Baldor contributed to this report.
