Secrecy Around Austin's Hospitalization Was 'A Problem,' White House Says

The decision to keep Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin’s hospitalization a secret even from the commander-in-chief for several days raised an issue, the National Security Council’s spokesperson John Kirby said Sunday, as President Joe Biden has said he maintains confidence in the Pentagon chief.

Austin, who has been diagnosed with prostate cancer, remains hospitalized at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Washington after he was admitted on Jan. 1 following a complication in his recovery from a prostatectomy procedure on Dec. 22, 2023.

While Biden, who only learned of Austin’s hospitalization on Jan. 4, acknowledged that the way the incident was handled showed a lapse in judgment, he told reporters on Friday he still stood by Austin.

Kirby didn’t offer much detail on Austin’s condition, but said his doctors think “he may need some additional care.”

“I understand that part of that is just physical therapy,” he told CBS’ “Face the Nation.”

Kirby said Austin is working from his hospital room and has taken part in discussions concerning his department, including the decision to strike Houthi militia in Yemen in coordination with the British, in another escalation of ongoing tensions in the Middle East amid Israel’s war in Gaza.

“He’s actively involved and engaged,” Kirby said. “And I think it’s important for people to remember that the Cabinet officials don’t have to sit and talk every single day to make every decision. A lot of the work that gets done in national security is done at the staff level.”

But Kirby conceded that the initial decision to keep the White House in the dark was an issue.

“That’s a problem,” he said. “And the president has spoken to that. That is not the way it’s supposed to be. It’s