Pentagon chief Lloyd Austin was hospitalized back in December. Biden did not know about this

US Defense Minister Lloyd Austin was hospitalized for the first time on December 22, 2023 — even US President Joe Biden did not know about it, as Reuters reports.

Austinʼs hospitalization was first announced on January 5 by Pentagon spokesman Brigadier General Patrick Ryder. The statement said that Austin was admitted to the intensive care unit on January 1 due to severe pain.

When asked why the hospitalization was not reported immediately, the press secretary only replied that those who knew about the situation should have considered medical issues and maintained confidentiality.

A Pentagon spokesman declined to release any details or the cause of Austinʼs illness.

During Austinʼs illness, his deputy Kathleen Hicks, who was on vacation in Puerto Rico at the time of the announcement of Austinʼs hospitalization, assumed the authority of the minister.

The concealment of the Pentagon chiefʼs illness has greatly outraged the White House and Congress: such secrecy goes against the usual practice of notifying the president and other high-ranking officials and poses a threat to national security, since Austin plays a key role in it and must immediately respond to any crisis.

On January 7, the Pentagon added new details about Austinʼs continued hospitalization, saying that he was first admitted to the hospital on December 22, where he was examined and went home a day later.

The US Department of Defense also said that Lloyd Austin is still at the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center.

According to Pentagon spokesman Pat Ryder, the head of the US Department of Defense is recovering and in good spirits.