US Secretary of Defense Hospitalized Due to Surgical Complications... Biden Unaware for Three Days

Hospitalized for 1 Day... White House Report on 4th, Public Announcement on 5th
Defense Department Press Corps Protests Delayed Disclosure

U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin (photo) was hospitalized due to surgical complications, but it has been reported that President Joe Biden was unaware of this fact for three days, sparking controversy.

On the 6th (local time), U.S. political media outlets Politico and NBC News reported that Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin has been receiving hospital treatment since the 1st due to surgical complications. NBC News stated that Austin was in the intensive care unit for four days during his hospitalization.

Lloyd Austin, U.S. Secretary of Defense [Photo by AFP Yonhap News]

These media outlets reported that the Department of Defense only informed the White House, including National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan, of Austin's hospitalization on the 4th. President Biden was unaware of the Defense Secretary's absence for three days. Government officials told Politico, "It is highly unlikely that Secretary Austin personally reported to President Biden without going through Advisor Sullivan." Senior officials in the Biden administration were reportedly shocked by the delay in reporting Austin's hospitalization.

The Department of Defense did not disclose Austin's hospitalization to the public until the evening of the 5th, when it issued a statement, and Congress was notified only 15 minutes before the statement was released. Pentagon spokesperson Pat Ryder said in the statement, "Secretary Austin was admitted to Walter Reed Military Medical Center on the evening of the 1st due to complications from a recent non-emergency medical procedure." He added, "Secretary Austin is recovering well and is expected to resume all duties starting today," and "Deputy Secretary Kathleen Hicks was always prepared to act on behalf of the Secretary if necessary." The Department of Defense did not disclose what surgery Austin underwent or the nature of the complications.

Seventy-year-old Austin graduated from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point and served as a soldier for 41 years. After retiring in 2016, he was appointed Secretary of Defense in 2021. He has typically emphasized privacy and avoided direct exposure to the media.

In general, when high-ranking officials or military personnel in the U.S. are hospitalized, a statement is issued within 24 hours. When Marine Corps Commandant Eric Smith was hospitalized due to a heart attack on October 29 last year, the Department of Defense issued a statement within hours.

Some senior Defense Department officials were also unaware of Austin's hospitalization. A Defense Department official told Politico, "Austin's aides said the Secretary was working from home for a week." U.S. media reported that Deputy Secretary Hicks was on vacation in Puerto Rico at the time of Austin's hospitalization and intermittently took on the Secretary's duties.

Meanwhile, the Pentagon press corps strongly protested the delayed disclosure of Austin's hospitalization. At a New Year's press conference the previous day, spokesperson Pat Ryder explained events that occurred during the holiday period but did not disclose Austin's hospitalization. The Pentagon press corps sent a letter to Ryder and public affairs advisor Chris Meagher criticizing, "We are angry that the public was informed only on the 5th despite Secretary Austin being hospitalized for four days."

On the 5th, Secretary Austin issued a statement himself, saying, "I understand the media's concerns about transparency and recognize that we could have provided the public with better information," and "I will do better." However, he added, "This was my medical procedure, and the responsibility for deciding whether to disclose it rests entirely with me."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.