The Pentagon's story about Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin's stay in the secret hospital gets worse the more Austin's spokesman talks about it. New statements made by Pentagon press secretary Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder on Sunday attempt to explain how Austin became ill and the secrecy but not why. Incredibly, Rader blames the failure to notify Joe Biden and the White House until Thursday on Austin's chief of staff, Kelly Magsamin, contracting the disease. Also, Rader says Austin, who remains at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland, overstayed his ICU stay due to space and privacy concerns. In other words, Austin took the ICU bed he no longer needed to keep his condition a secret. Austin refuses to reveal the nature of his illness or why he kept it a secret, except that he underwent an elective medical procedure.
Ryder did not provide any estimate on when the 70-year-old Austin might be released or whether Austin was taken by ambulance when he became ill on New Year's Day.
As Secretary of Defense, Austin is sixth in the line of presidential succession (Vice President, Speaker of the House, Senate Pro Tempore, Secretaries of State, Treasury, Defense…)
Earlier Sunday, Ryder issued a nice press release about Austin:
Pentagon Press Secretary Major General Pat Rader made the following statement:
Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III is hospitalized at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center but is recovering well and in good spirits.
Since resuming his duties on Friday evening, the Minister has received operational updates and provided necessary guidance to his team. He has full access to the required secure communications capabilities and continues to monitor the daily operations of the Department of Defense around the world.
The Secretary spoke with President Biden yesterday. He has also been in contact with Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. C.Q. Brown Jr. and his senior staff.
While we do not have a specific release date at this time, we will continue to provide updates on the Minister's status as they become available.
On Sunday evening, Rader issued a statement to reporters with more details about how, but not why, raising more questions and anger.
Reporters published different opinions on Ryder's statement:
ABC News' Luis Martinez, “1/3” On Friday, December 22, Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin III for an elective medical procedure at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. He was on vacation at the time. He went home on Saturday, December 23,” @PentagonPressSec told @jparkABC… 2/3″ On the evening of January 1, he began experiencing severe pain and was transferred to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center where he was admitted to the intensive care unit,” he said. “For privacy reasons, we cannot provide additional information,” Ryder told ABC…3/3 He was placed in the hospital's intensive care unit to ensure immediate access due to his medical needs, but remained in that location in part due to hospital space and privacy considerations.
1/3 “On Friday, December 22, Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III for an elective medical procedure at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. He was on vacation at the time. He returned home on Saturday, December 23,” @PentagonPressSec said@jparkABC
– Luis Martinez (@LMartinezABC) January 7, 2024
3/3 “For privacy reasons, we cannot provide additional information. He was placed in the hospital's ICU to ensure immediate access due to his medical needs, but remained in that location in part due to hospital space.” “Considerations and Privacy”
– Luis Martinez (@LMartinezABC) January 7, 2024
Eleanor Watson of CBS News, “New details on Defense Secretary Austin's hospitalization, according to @PentagonPresSec: – December 22 – Austin underwent an elective medical procedure at Walter Reed. – December 23 – He returned home. – January 1 – Began In severe pain, he was transferred to Walter Reed and admitted to the ICU… He was admitted to the ICU for his medical and privacy needs. The delay in notifying the White House and the Deputy Secretary was due to Austin's chief of staff falling ill.
He was admitted to the ICU to meet his medical and privacy needs. The delay in notifying the White House and the Deputy Secretary was due to Austin's chief of staff falling ill.
– Eleanor Watson (@ellee_watson) January 7, 2024
Timeline of who was told and when:
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Charles Q. Brown Jr. was told on Tuesday, the day after Austin visited Walter Reed. It appears that Brown did not inform Biden or anyone.
Deputy Secretary Kathleen Hicks performed some duties for Austin while on vacation in Puerto Rico, but was not informed until Thursday that he was in the hospital.
Joe Biden and the White House, including National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan, were not told as of Thursday.
Congress was not notified until Friday, just fifteen minutes before the Pentagon issued a press release.
Senior military and civilian officials at the Pentagon received an email from Austin's chief of staff Friday afternoon, two hours before the press release was issued.
Some Pentagon officials were not told at all and learned of Austin's illness from press reports Friday night.
Austin's employees lied to other Pentagon officials throughout the week that they were told he worked at home, Politico reported (excerpts):
But Austin's hospitalization was a closely guarded secret, kept from even top Pentagon officials and congressional leaders until just before the public statement, according to nine Defense Department officials and two congressional aides. Some Pentagon officials learned of Austin's situation only through the press release. For Ryder: A Defense Department official said Austin aides told their office that the secretary had been working from home all week.
Previous TGP reports on the secret stay at Austin Hospital:
The deputy defense secretary — who was on vacation in Puerto Rico — was not told that Lloyd Austin had been hospitalized when she took over his duties.
SecDef Lloyd Austin issues statement on secret hospital treatment; It doesn't explain the shocking failure to inform Biden, White House staff, congressional officials, or the Pentagon
DEVELOPMENT: Lloyd Austin's health scare is more serious than the Pentagon admits
The Pentagon Press Association expresses “grave concern” about the Department of Defense keeping Secretary of Defense Austin's hospitalization secret
