Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin was taken to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center outside Washington on Sunday after complaining of “urgent bladder problems,” the Pentagon said.
The Pentagon said in a statement that the White House has been notified and Mr. Austin will continue to serve as Pentagon chief.
“Today, at approximately 2:20 p.m., Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III was transported by security personnel to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center for evaluation for symptoms suggestive of an emergent bladder condition.” said Maj. Gen. Austin, a Pentagon spokesperson. Pat Ryder said in a statement Sunday afternoon.
Austin, 70, has come under intense scrutiny for his decision to hide his prostate cancer diagnosis and recent hospitalization from White House and Pentagon officials, including President Biden.
The Secretary of Defense appears to have tried to hide the fact that he was admitted to Walter Reed on January 1 for complications related to December surgery to treat prostate cancer.
Mr. Austin is notoriously private, and critics have argued that he has lost some of his right to privacy by taking the top defense job.
Austin has agreed to testify on Capitol Hill later this month about his decision to shield his first hospitalization from White House and Pentagon officials.
In January, House Armed Services Committee Chairman Mike Rogers (R-Ala.) launched a formal congressional investigation into the defense secretary’s hospitalization.
Mr. Rogers requested a “detailed explanation” of Mr. Austin’s hospitalization and how his absence was communicated to Pentagon and Biden administration officials.
