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The Pentagon introduced on Sunday that Protection Secretary Lloyd J. Austin III had been taken to a navy hospital to be handled for “signs suggesting an emergent bladder problem,” and docs on the hospital later mentioned it was not clear how lengthy he would stay there.
Mr. Austin was taken to Walter Reed Nationwide Army Medical Heart in Bethesda, Md., at 2:20 p.m., a Pentagon spokesman, Maj. Gen. Patrick S. Ryder, mentioned within the navy’s preliminary assertion. 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 features and duties” of his workplace to the deputy protection secretary, Kathleen H. Hicks, at about 4:55 p.m.
One other assertion, issued late Sunday by two senior docs at Walter Reed, mentioned that Mr. Austin had been admitted to the hospital’s essential care unit that evening after a sequence of assessments. The docs, John Maddox and Gregory Chesnut, mentioned it was not clear how lengthy he can be hospitalized.
Final month, Mr. Austin spent a number of days at Walter Reed being handled for problems associated to a latest prostate most cancers surgical procedure. The docs mentioned of their assertion on Sunday that his bladder problem “is just not anticipated to vary his anticipated full restoration” and that his most cancers prognosis remained glorious.
The bulletins seemed to be geared toward displaying transparency round Mr. Austin’s medical situation and confused the truth that a number of prime officers throughout the U.S. authorities had been knowledgeable.
Mr. Austin got here beneath widespread criticism final month after initially protecting his hospital go to a secret from prime 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 beneath 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 have 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 normal and former commander of the US 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 components of his life out of the general public highlight.
Mike Ives contributed reporting.
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