Lloyd Austin Addresses Secret Hospital Trip: 'I Did Not Handle This Right'

U.S. Department of Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin addressed his secret hospitalization on Thursday saying, "I did not handle this right."

"I want to be crystal clear. We did not handle this right, and I did not handle this right," Austin said during a Pentagon press briefing. "I should have told the president about my cancer diagnosis, and I also should have told my team and the American public."

The context:

On January 6, Austin announced that he was receiving medical care at the Walter Reed Medical facility after undergoing surgery for a prostate cancer diagnosis. Pentagon Press Secretary Major General Pat Ryder said on January 1 that Austin was admitted to the hospital after "complications following a recent elective medical procedure."

However, it was later reported that U.S. President Joe Biden did not learn of Austin's diagnosis and absence from his office until a few days later.

"I also understand the media concerns about transparency and I recognize I could have done a better job ensuring the public was appropriately informed. I commit to doing better," Austin said in the statement on January 6. "But this is important to say: this was my medical procedure, and I take full responsibility for my decisions about disclosure."

What we know:

Shortly after it was revealed that Austin was hospitalized, many questioned when Biden was informed and if he was concerned over the Secretary's secret absence.

On January 8, a White House official familiar with the situation told Newsweek that Biden was not "considering replacing Secretary Austin."

"The president still has complete trust and confidence in Secretary Austin. He's looking forward to him being back at the Pentagon," the White House official, who was not approved to publicly discuss the matter, told Newsweek on January 8.

Newsweek reached out to the U.S. Department of Defense via email for further comment.

Views:

Many lawmakers questioned Austin's secret absence from his post and some called for his resignation.

"In September, I used the Holman rule to FIRE Secretary Austin," Republican Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene wrote on X, formerly Twitter. "He isn't capable of leading the Department of Defense. And he just proved it again by keeping it a secret when he was very sick and in the ICU."

Former President Donald Trump also criticized the situation saying on TruthSocial, "Failed Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin should be fired immediately for improper professional conduct and dereliction of duty. 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."

While appearing on Fox News' The Faulkner Focus on Thursday, Republican Senator Marsha Blackburn said that she was "pleased" that Austin admitted that he made a mistake but noted that he should have realized "the importance of letting those around you know."

"Making the president aware should have been the first thing that he thought to do," Blackburn added.

What's next:

Last month, the Washington Post reported that the Department of Defense Inspector General announced an internal investigation into Austin's absence and secret hospitalization. The investigation will "examine the roles, processes, procedures, responsibilities, and actions" of Austin's hospitalization.

According to the Washington Post, the internal investigation will be conducted alongside a 30-day review by Austin's own office regarding the situation.

Update, 2/1/24, 11:03 a.m. EST: This story has been updated with additional information and to reflect that Newsweek reached out to the Department of Defense.

Update, 2/1/24, 12:28 p.m. EST: This story has been updated with additional information and to reflect that Newsweek reached out to the Department of Defense.