Austin Remains in Hospital, Expected to Attend NATO Meeting Virtually

U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin walks down the steps of the Pentagon to greet Romanian Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu on Dec. 4, 2023, in Arlington, Va. (Win McNamee/Getty Images)

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin remains in the hospital following an emergency procedure related to his bladder, the Pentagon has said.

Mr. Austin is expected to virtually attend a NATO defense ministerial and meeting of the Ukraine Contact Group later in the week, though it isn’t yet clear whether he will do so from home or from the hospital, Pentagon spokesperson Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder said.

Maj. Gen. Ryder told reporters on Feb. 12 that Mr. Austin was still in the intensive care unit at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, where he was transported on Feb. 11.

“He’s in good condition, according to his doctors,” Maj. Gen. Ryder said.

“I can assure you the secretary continues to be eager to perform his duties. I have no doubt of that.”

Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks is currently performing the duties of the secretary, he added.

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“She has assumed the duties and functions of the secretary of defense, and so, in that sense, she is acting as the secretary of defense,” Maj. Gen. Ryder said.

Maj. Gen. Ryder didn’t say whether this meant that Ms. Hicks has also become sixth in the presidential line of succession.

Austin Investigated for Transparency Issues

Mr. Austin informed the White House that he was being taken to the hospital early in the afternoon on Feb. 11, at which point he also transferred his authorities to Ms. Hicks, the general said. The secretary hasn’t yet spoken with the president about the issue, he said.

Maj. Gen. Ryder wouldn’t clarify whether the “emergent bladder issue” that plagued the secretary was related to complications from surgery related to his cancer or was something entirely different.

The episode follows a contentious saga early in the year in which Mr. Austin was hospitalized for cancer and surgery complications multiple times without informing President Joe Biden or explaining to Ms. Hicks why she was being given his authority.

Mr. Austin was diagnosed with prostate cancer in December and underwent a prostatectomy on Dec. 22, 2023. He was rushed to the hospital again for emergency surgery due to complications at the end of the month.

The White House wasn’t told of the hospitalization until Jan. 4. Congress wasn’t notified of the situation until Jan. 5, and the White House didn’t learn of the cancer diagnosis until Jan. 9.

Democrats and Republicans alike expressed concern over the incident, as Mr. Austin holds military command authority second only to that of the president. The incident is currently being investigated by the Pentagon.

The White House has since issued a memorandum mandating that Cabinet heads inform the president when they are unable to perform their duties or are delegating them for another reason.

Maj. Gen. Ryder said that Mr. Austin’s cancer was “detected very early” and that the most recent hospitalization wasn’t expected to interfere with his recovery.

Relatedly, he said, Mr. Austin was experiencing lingering pains related to the surgeries but wasn’t expected to require any further treatment for his cancer.

“His current bladder issue is not anticipated to change his expected full recovery from cancer,” Maj. Gen. Ryder said.

“All indications from the doctors’ statements is that he’s going to recover well.”