2024-01-13 20:06:15
The US Department of Defense (the Pentagon) said on Saturday that Secretary Lloyd Austin is still in the hospital but is in good condition, adding that his discharge date has not yet been determined.
“He is in contact with his senior staff and all required secure communications capabilities are available to him and continues to monitor the daily operations of the Department of Defense around the world,” Pentagon spokesman Major General Pat Ryder said in a statement.
Austin (70 years old) visited Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Maryland on December 22, to undergo treatment for prostate cancer, and returned to the hospital once more on January 1, due to complications including a urinary tract infection, and he has remained there since then.
Austin’s efforts to keep his treatment completely secret raised questions regarding whether he violated rules related to notifying Congress of the surgery, and caused embarrassment for US President Joe Biden, who did not know that Austin was receiving medical care until January 4th, and was informed on the 9th of the same month that Austin had prostate cancer.
The White House and the Pentagon rejected calls for Austin’s dismissal. White House officials said Biden still has “full confidence” in Austin.
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