The United States Defense Secretary was hospitalized for five days and the Biden administration was unaware of it.
The Associated Press reported that neither senior Biden aides nor Pentagon knew anything about Llyod Austin’s deteriorating health condition, let alone his hospitalization.
The 70-year-old defense secretary was admitted to Walter Reed national military medical center on New Year’s Day.
Defense Secretary Takes Full Responsibility
Lloyd Austin, US defense secretary, said that he takes full responsibility for keeping his week-long hospitalization a secret for a still-unspecified medical condition.
“I recognize I could have done a better job ensuring the public was appropriately informed. I commit to doing better,” Mr. Austin said.
The statement came as the AP news agency reported that senior Biden administration leaders, members of Congress and top Pentagon officials were unaware for days that Austin had been hospitalized.
The defense department didn’t specify the medical condition Mr. Austin suffered from.
