Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin did not inform the White House or his deputy in the Pentagon of the procedure planned for Dec. 22, the one that led to his emergency return to the hospital on New Year’s Day, CNN reported Monday.
Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks did not know her boss was undergoing an elective procedure while on leave, Pentagon Press Secretary Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder said on Monday, according to CNN. Austin returned home on the evening of Dec. 23, but experienced complications on Jan. 1 and was rushed in an ambulance to the Intensive Care Unit at Walter Reed Medical Center, where he remained for days before Hicks or top National Security Council and Department of Defense (DOD) officials were notified.
Austin acknowledged he could have better informed the public about his nearly five-day hospital stay, during which time the White House and Congress were mostly kept in the dark, in a statement on Saturday. (RELATED: US Airstrike Kills Militia Leader Blamed For Attacks On US Troops)
It’s unclear whether and for how long Austin might have been sedated during his elective procedure on Dec. 22. The Pentagon earlier Monday declined to provide further details about Austin’s procedure.
Austin remained in the hospital as of Monday and had resumed his full duties as of Friday evening, including providing guidance to the Pentagon and monitoring DOD operations worldwide, Ryder said in a statement to the Daily Caller News Foundation earlier Monday. He has also communicated with his principal deputies and spoke to President Joe Biden on Saturday evening.
The two had a cordial conversation and Biden was anticipating Austin’s return to the Pentagon, the White House said.
Kelly Magsamen, Austin’s chief of staff, did not inform Hicks or key White House leaders until Jan. 4.
Hicks was on leave in Puerto Rico by Jan. 1 and made “routine decisions” on the Austin’s behalf during the week, the Pentagon said. She began arranging a return to Washington D.C. after learning of Austin’s hospitalization, but called off travel plans after the defense secretary resumed his full duties.
WH official confirms to @DailyCaller that Biden isn’t considering firing Sec. Austin.
The WH did not answer if anyone would be held accountable for the communication breakdown, adding that Biden appreciated the pledge for transparency.
More here:https://t.co/AfA5vIxeFk
— Reagan Reese (@reaganreese_) January 8, 2024
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. CQ Brown, Jr., who is not in the chain of command, was notified on Jan. 2 that Austin had been hospitalized and the secretary’s authorities transferred to the deputy secretary of defense, Ryder said.
Members of Congress did not learn about Austin’s hospitalization until just before the Pentagon released a public statement on the evening of Jan. 5.
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