The Pentagon acknowledged on Tuesday that Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin was treated for prostate cancer and that his recent hospitalization was the result of complications from a urinary tract infection following his prostatectomy.
“His infection is cleared. He continues to make progress, and we anticipate a full recovery, although this can be a slow process,” Pentagon press secretary Major General Pat Ryder told reporters Tuesday at the Pentagon.
Austin did not tell President Joe Biden about his cancer until Tuesday morning, more than two weeks after his late December procedure and eight days since he was rushed to the hospital on New Year’s Day, National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby said.
Austin transferred his authorities to his deputy on Jan. 2 without explanation, something the Pentagon says can happen for a variety of routine reasons. Austin’s team failed to notify Biden or Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks about Austin’s hospitalization for three days, and the Pentagon did not let the public know about that Austin was in the hospital for four days.
Ryder gave a regular briefing to the Pentagon press corps the same day that Hicks was notified of the hospitalization but didn’t mention Austin was ill and in the hospital.
“We recognize that we have to do a better job in terms of the timeliness and the transparency when it comes to especially the secretary's health, and again, we're committed to making sure that we don't do this again, and that we do a better job next time,” Ryder said in response to a question from VOA on Tuesday.
A statement on Austin’s procedure, complications and recovery from officials at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center said Austin was experiencing nausea with severe abdominal, hip and leg pain when he was rushed to the hospital on Jan. 1. Abdominal fluid had collected and was impairing the function of his small intestines, a complication doctors say was remedied by draining his stomach through a nose tube.
“His prostate cancer was detected early, and his prognosis is excellent,” Dr. John Maddox and Dr. Gregory Chesnut said in the statement.
“Prostate cancer is the most common cause of cancer among American men, and it impacts 1 in every 8 men — and 1 in every 6 African American men — during their lifetime,” they added.
The statement was issued a day after both the White House and Pentagon said they were reviewing the circumstances surrounding Austin’s hospitalization last week and the lack of notification to White House officials that Austin had transferred authority to his deputy.
A Pentagon memo released late Monday said the Defense Department would carry out a 30-day review, including the timeline of events and notifications since Austin’s hospitalization, the process for determining when the secretary is unable to perform his duties and recommendations for improving the process of notifying senior leaders.
“This review will help to ensure clarity and transparency when a determination has been made that certain authorities have been transferred, and that proper and timely notification has been made to the President and White House and, as appropriate, the United States Congress and the American public,” Austin’s Chief of Staff Kelly Magsamen said in the memo.
For now, any transfer of authority will trigger notifications to a wider array of officials, including the Pentagon's general counsel, the chairman and vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the combatant commanders, service secretaries, the service chiefs of staff, the White House Situation Room and the senior staff of the secretary and deputy secretary of defense.
Austin, just below Biden at the top of the chain of command of the U.S. military, developed complications from what has been described as an elective medical procedure he had on Dec. 22.
Ryder said that at “no time was national security in jeopardy" because of Austin’s hospitalization, although his duties were transferred to Hicks during some of his hospitalization.
Austin is no longer in the intensive care unit but remains at Walter Reed.
The 70-year-old Austin said Saturday that he took "full responsibility" for the secrecy over his hospitalization.
But top Republicans, including former President Donald Trump, the leading 2024 Republican presidential candidate to face Biden in the November presidential election, called for Austin’s dismissal.
Austin should be fired for his "improper professional conduct and dereliction of duty," Trump said.
"He has been missing for one week, and nobody, including his boss, Crooked Joe Biden, had a clue as to where he was, or might be," Trump wrote on Truth Social.
Republican Representative Elise Stefanik also called for Austin’s dismissal, saying in a statement, "There must be full accountability beginning with the immediate resignation of Secretary Austin and those that lied for him and a congressional investigation into this dangerous dereliction of duty."
Despite some Republican lawmakers now calling for Austin’s resignation, Ryder told reporters Austin does not plan on resigning, and the White House has expressed full confidence in the defense secretary.
Austin's duties require him to be available at a moment's notice to respond to any military or national security crisis.
