Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin’s secret hospitalizations have been criticized in a new report from the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General (OIG), which states that these incidents unnecessarily increased America’s national security risk. The 188-page review scrutinized Austin’s hospitalizations in December 2023, January 2024, and February 2024, attributing blame to communication lapses and failures to transfer authority within Austin’s team.
The report highlighted Austin’s strong desire for privacy regarding his medical condition as a key factor in the breakdown of communications within the Pentagon and with the White House and Congress. It was revealed that neither Austin’s chief of staff nor Deputy Defense Secretary Kathleen Hicks were aware of his cancer diagnosis or medical procedures in December 2023.
