The Pentagon introduced on Sunday that Protection Secretary Lloyd J. Austin III had been taken that afternoon to a navy hospital to be handled for “signs suggesting an emergent bladder challenge.”
Mr. Austin was taken to Walter Reed Nationwide Army Medical Middle in Bethesda, Md., at 2:20 p.m., a Pentagon spokesman, Maj. Gen. Patrick S. Ryder, mentioned in an announcement. He added that the deputy protection secretary and the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Workers had been notified, in addition to the White Home and members of Congress.
In a second assertion on Sunday night, Normal Ryder mentioned that Mr. Austin, 70, had “transferred the capabilities and duties” of his workplace to the deputy protection secretary, Kathleen H. Hicks, at about 4:55 p.m.
The bulletins seemed to be aimed toward exhibiting transparency round Mr. Austin’s medical situation and stressing the truth that a number of high officers throughout the U.S. authorities had been knowledgeable.
Mr. Austin got here underneath widespread criticism final month when he went to the hospital for a number of days for therapy for issues associated to a current prostate most cancers surgical procedure. He had initially stored his hospital go to a secret from high administration officers, together with President Biden, the White Home nationwide safety adviser, the secretary of state and senior officers within the Pentagon, together with these instantly underneath him within the workplace.
Mr. Austin additionally had not knowledgeable the president that he had undergone the unique surgical procedure in December.
Lawmakers referred to as for the Pentagon to offer solutions on why so many officers had been stored at midnight. Mr. Biden mentioned on Jan. 12 that he nonetheless had confidence in Mr. Austin. However when the president was requested whether or not it had been a lapse in judgment for Mr. Austin to not have knowledgeable him that he had been out of fee, Mr. Biden mentioned “sure.”
Mr. Austin, a retired four-star Military basic and former commander of the USA Central Command, had served within the navy for greater than 40 years when he took the highest Pentagon job in 2021. All through his profession, he has sought to keep away from consideration and has tried to maintain many elements of his life out of the general public highlight.
Normal Ryder mentioned the Pentagon would supply an replace on Mr. Austin’s situation as quickly as potential.
