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The Inspector General for the Department of Defense has released a report criticizing Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin’s handling of his late 2023 and early 2024 hospitalizations, citing failures in communication and authority transfers that unnecessarily heightened risks to national security.

Some shit you should know before you read: Back in late 2023 and early 2024, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin faced multiple hospitalizations due to complications from prostate cancer surgery. During these periods, Austin chose to keep his condition and hospital stays private, refraining from informing President Biden, Deputy Secretary Kathleen Hicks, and senior staff about his diagnosis or the severity of his health issues. This decision sparked criticism as it raised concerns about the continuity of leadership and national security during moments when he was incapacitated, particularly since he delayed transferring his authorities during critical times while under sedation or anesthesia.  

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What’s going on now: In the OIG report, the Pentagon’s Inspector General outlined serious concerns about how Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin handled his hospitalizations, concluding that his actions “unnecessarily increased” risks to national security. The report criticized Austin for failing to notify key officials, including President Biden, Congress, and his deputy, Kathleen Hicks, about his medical condition and hospitalizations in a timely manner. It highlighted that during two critical procedures on January 6 and January 8, 2024, where Austin was moderately sedated and advised against making decisions requiring unimpaired mental capacity, he “did not transfer his authorities” and did not inform Hicks or his senior staff about the situation. Similarly, in February 2024, while Austin was in “severe condition” during another medical procedure, the report found that he delayed transferring his authorities for several hours after being hospitalized.

The OIG emphasized that Austin’s secrecy about his medical condition was a recurring theme, noting, “Austin’s strong desire for privacy about his medical conditions is a thread that runs through all the events that we reviewed.” The report also criticized Austin for directing his staff to avoid using sirens on an ambulance trip to the hospital and for instructing them not to notify anyone about his condition. At times, Austin reportedly went “totally dark on his staff,” creating confusion and frustration among senior officials, including his chief of staff, who wrote in messages that they could not keep his condition secret indefinitely and were “worried sick.”

While the OIG acknowledged that there were no adverse consequences to DoD operations, it concluded, “The risks to our national defense, including the command and control of the DoD’s critical national security operations, were increased unnecessarily.” The report issued 20 recommendations to prevent similar issues in the future, addressing gaps in communication, decision-making, and the protocols for transferring authority during periods of medical incapacitation.

Austin responds: In response to the report, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin acknowledged his mistakes and took full responsibility for how his hospitalizations were handled, attributing the issues to his desire for privacy. He has previously admitted that he should have informed President Biden, his team, and the American public about his cancer diagnosis and hospitalizations sooner, stating, “I should have told the President about my cancer diagnosis. I should have also told my team and the American public, and I take full responsibility.”  

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