{"id":14018,"date":"2024-01-14T01:46:26","date_gmt":"2024-01-14T01:46:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/shareperformanceinsight.com\/index.php\/2024\/01\/14\/defense-sec-lloyd-austin-in-good-condition-as-hospitalization-approaches-two-week-mark-pentagon-officials\/"},"modified":"2024-01-14T01:46:26","modified_gmt":"2024-01-14T01:46:26","slug":"defense-sec-lloyd-austin-in-good-condition-as-hospitalization-approaches-two-week-mark-pentagon-officials","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/shareperformanceinsight.com\/index.php\/2024\/01\/14\/defense-sec-lloyd-austin-in-good-condition-as-hospitalization-approaches-two-week-mark-pentagon-officials\/","title":{"rendered":"Defense Sec. Lloyd Austin in \u2018good condition\u2019 as hospitalization approaches two-week mark: Pentagon officials"},"content":{"rendered":"
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The Pentagon confirmed Saturday that Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin remains hospitalized, nearly two weeks after he was admitted due to complications from surgery for prostate cancer.<\/p>\n

Providing an update on the health of Austin, who has been hospitalized at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center since Jan. 1, Pentagon press secretary Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder\u00a0said the defense secretary is \u2018in good condition\u2019 and that it\u2019s still unknown when he will be released.<\/p>\n

\u2018He\u2019s in contact with his senior staff and has full access to required secure communications capabilities and continues to monitor DOD\u2019s day-to-day operations worldwide,\u2019 Ryder said of Austin. \u2018We do not have a specific date for Secretary Austin\u2019s release from the hospital at this time but will continue to provide daily updates until then.\u2019<\/p>\n

The Pentagon publicly revealed Jan. 5 that Austin had been in the hospital since Jan. 1 due to complications from elective surgery.<\/p>\n

But it was later revealed that not only was the media kept in the dark, but the highest levels of the White House and top officials in the Pentagon itself were not aware until Jan. 4 Austin was in the hospital.<\/p>\n

The non-disclosure prompted a flurry of bipartisan concern, with top Democrats and Republicans on the House and Senate Armed Services committees calling for more transparency.<\/p>\n

In a recent statement to Fox News White House correspondent Peter Doocy, the White House confirmed President Biden continued to have \u2018full trust and confidence\u2019 in the Pentagon\u2019s leader.<\/p>\n

\u2018The president has full trust and confidence in Secretary Austin. He\u2019s looking forward to him being back at the Pentagon,\u2019 the official said.<\/p>\n

The Pentagon echoed the White House sentiment in a statement to Fox News Digital earlier this week, saying Austin also has no plans to resign.<\/p>\n

\u2018Secretary Austin has no plans to resign,\u2019 Pentagon press secretary Major General Pat Ryder said. \u2018He remains focused on conducting his duties as secretary of defense in defense of our nation.\u2019<\/p>\n

Details\u00a0emerged Wednesday indicating Austin\u2019s chief of staff, Kelly Magsamen, was aware of her boss\u2019s hospitalization Jan. 2 but\u00a0did not inform Deputy Defense Secretary Kathleen Hicks, who took on some of the defense secretary\u2019s duties during the initial hospital stay.<\/p>\n

Ryder told reporters this delay was in part due to Magsamen having the flu.<\/p>\n

A senior U.S. defense official told Fox News Wednesday a military assistant from Austin\u2019s office notified a\u00a0counterpart in Hicks\u2019 office of the transfer of authority\u00a0to her Jan. 2.<\/p>\n

Then, on Jan. 4, it was Magsamen who notified the chief of staff for Hicks that Austin had been hospitalized Jan. 1 and that his condition was improving.<\/p>\n

When asked by Fox News if it was senior military assistant Lt. Gen. Ron Clark who spoke to\u00a0the military assistant in Hicks\u2019 office on Tuesday, the senior U.S. defense official did not have an answer\u00a0and said a 30-day review will cover exactly who the military assistant was.<\/p>\n

During a visit to small businesses outside Allentown, Pennsylvania, Biden said \u2018yes\u2019 when asked by reporters if it was a lapse in judgment for Austin not to tell him about his condition.<\/p>\n

When a reporter asked him if he still has confidence in Austin\u2019s leadership following his hospitalization debacle, Biden replied, \u2018I do.\u2019<\/p>\n

Walter Reed National Military Medical Center revealed Tuesday that Austin was diagnosed with prostate cancer in early December and underwent a prostatectomy on Dec. 22.<\/p>\n

The hospital added that the 70-year-old recovered uneventfully from his surgery\u00a0and was released the following morning. His prostate cancer was detected early, and the prognosis was \u2018excellent,\u2019 according to the hospital.<\/p>\n

Several House Republicans are going directly to Austin for more information on the decision-making that led to senior officials in the White House and Pentagon reportedly being in the dark for days about his recent hospitalization.<\/p>\n

Rep. Claudia Tenney, R-N.Y., led a group of two dozen GOP lawmakers in writing a letter to Austin with questions about who was part of the decision to delay disclosure, how Austin would respond \u2018if one of your combatant commanders was unable to discharge the duties of their office for three or four days and you were not informed\u2019 and who was in the loop about his situation from the beginning, among other details.<\/p>\n

In a post to X on Saturday, New York Republican Rep. Elise Stefanik wrote, \u2018Secretary Austin and anyone who lied for him will be held accountable.\u2019<\/p>\n

The Associated Press, Fox News\u2019 Anders Hagstrom, Greg Norman, and Sarah Rumpf-Whitten contributed to this report.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

This post appeared first on FOX NEWS<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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