Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin is facing rising outrage for failing to disclose for days that he was in the hospital with a serious medical condition.
The Pentagon late Friday announced that Austin had been hospital since Jan. 1 related to an elective medical procedure. The Defense Department didn’t alert the White House until Thursday about Austin’s condition, three days after he had been admitted to the hospital, according to a senior Defense official who was not authorized to comment publicly on the matter.
Neither Austin, 70, nor the Pentagon provided any details about why he was in the hospital, or explained what his medical procedure was.
In a separate statement, Austin said he “could have done a better job ensuring the public was appropriately informed. I commit to doing better.”
Austin remained hospitalized Sunday, according to his spokesman, Air Force Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder.
“Secretary Austin is still in the hospital and recovering well,” Ryder said.
The unanswered questions and partial disclosures prompted immediate backlash. Sen Tom Cotton, a member of the Armed Services Committee, demanded on X, that Austin explain why he delayed notifying the White House about his medical condition.
Read more at AOL.com
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