Protection Secretary Lloyd Austin is about to endure a medical process Friday and switch his energy – after going through livid backlash for his earlier remedy accomplished in secret with out night telling the White Home.
Pentagon officers introduced that Mr Austin was set to have an “elective and minimally invasive” follow-up process at Walter Reed Medical Heart for a bladder situation. The remedy is non-surgical.
“The Secretary has decided he will probably be briefly unable to carry out his capabilities and duties in the course of the process, so Deputy Secretary of Protection Kathleen Hicks will assume the capabilities and duties of the Secretary of Protection and function the Appearing Secretary of Protection,’ Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder mentioned in a press release.
The bladder situation is separate from the most cancers prognosis, officers mentioned.
It was that most cancers remedy that discovered him in sizzling water earlier this yr as he was taken to the hospital and didn’t inform different Pentagon officers, the White Home or President Joe Biden.
On Jan. 1, Mr. Austin was hospitalized at Walter Reed following a surgical procedure for his prostate most cancers weeks earlier. He was finally transferred to the ICU and remained there for a number of days. His remedy was not disclosed to Mr Biden or the general public for a number of days, sparking a backlash all through Washington, DC.
![Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin speaks during a press briefing at the Pentagon on May 20](https://static.independent.co.uk/2024/05/24/20/US_Ukraine_12411.jpg)
In February, Mr Austin was hauled earlier than Congress for a listening to about his secret remedy.
The Protection Secretary mentioned command and management authority had at all times been within the right arms throughout his hospital keep, however admitted the handing over of his duties to a deputy was accomplished at the hours of darkness. Republicans pounced on Mr Austin in the course of the listening to over his failure to inform.
“Mr Secretary, who will probably be held accountable for this embarrassment?” Rep. Jim Banks requested, prompting Mr Austin to notice that he took full accountability for his actions. He went on to cite two “main” propaganda outfits in China and Russia which portrayed the state of affairs as indicators of “chaos” throughout the US authorities.
“Our adversaries ought to worry us. What you’ve accomplished is embarrassed us,” the chairman went on to say.
His remarks have been largely adopted by impassive acknowledgments from the Pentagon chief and have been extra immediately refuted by Democrats on the panel, who rallied to Mr Austin’s protection.