Lloyd Austin taken to hospital for bladder problem

The Pentagon said the White House, Joint Chiefs of Staff and Congress had been briefed on the Defense Secretary's condition, unlike last month when he kept complications linked to prostate surgery secret. .

The Pentagon announced Sunday that Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III was transported this afternoon to a military hospital to be treated for " symptoms suggesting an emerging bladder problem.” ”

Mr. Austin was taken to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland, at 2:20 p.m., a Pentagon spokesman, Maj. Gen. Patrick S. Ryder, said in a statement. He added that the Deputy Secretary of Defense and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff had been informed, as well as the White House and members of Congress.

In a second statement Sunday evening, General Ryder said that Mr. Austin, 70, had “transferred the functions and duties” of his office to Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen H. Hicks around 4:55 p.m.

These announcements appeared to be aimed at providing transparency regarding Mr. Austin's health and emphasizing the fact that several senior U.S. government officials had been briefed.

Mr. Austin faced widespread criticism last month when he visited the hospital for several days to treat complications from recent prostate cancer surgery. He initially kept his hospital visit secret from senior administration officials, including President Biden, the White House national security adviser, the secretary of state, and senior Pentagon officials, including those immediately under his command in the office.

< p class="css-at9mc1 evys1bk0">Mr. Austin also had not informed the president that he had the first surgery in December.

Lawmakers called on the Pentagon to provide answers about why for which so many responsible people were kept in the dark. . Mr. Biden said on January 12 that he still had confidence in Mr. Austin. But when the president was asked whether Mr. Austin had made an error of judgment in not informing him that he was out of commission, Mr. Biden said “yes.”

Mr. Austin, a retired four-star general and former commander of U.S. Central Command, had served in the military for more than 40 years when he rose to the Pentagon's top job in 2021. Throughout his career, he sought to avoid attention and tried to keep many aspects of his life out of the public spotlight.

General Ryder said the Pentagon would provide an update on Mr. Austin's condition as soon as possible.