What happened to US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin? Pentagon tight-lipped over secret ICU stay

Days after keeping his health scare a secret, Austin acknowledged in a statement released on Saturday that he ‘could have done a better job’

The mystery surrounding Lloyd Austin's hospitalization and 4-day ICU stay has raised many eyebrows. Although the US defense secretary was admitted to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center on January 1, his department wasn't notified about his illness until Thursday. Austin's decision to keep his severe illness and hospitalization a secret from the White House has caused fury among top officials. It has driven many to question whether the Biden administration is keeping up with its promise of transparency.

Biden administration's lack of fulfilling its promise of transparency

Pentagon has remained tight-lipped over Austin's secret hospitalisation, merely describing his ICU visit due to “complications following an elective medical procedure.” Days after keeping his health scare a secret, Austin acknowledged in a statement released on Saturday that he “could have done a better job ensuring the public was appropriately informed. I commit to doing better.”

Experts raise eyebrows over Austin's secret hospitalisation

Scott Jennings, a GOP strategist who worked under President George W. Bush, said, “When the command structure of the United States armed forces appears to be broken down and disconnected from the commander in chief, I think people are going to have pretty serious questions about it,” according to USA Today. “That is, quite frankly, detrimental to our national security system and just plain dangerous.”

Former diplomat Brett Bruen said, “This is not a minor miscommunication. It’s about the confidence that our national security structure has in its leadership and that the leadership is acting transparently,” as per the outlet. Bruen also drew instances when the Biden administration fell short of fulfilling its promise of transparency.

Bruen described the State Department’s scanty information to the public as “a Hallmark card in how meaningless they are.” “There's a false belief that they can brush this stuff under the rug, they can try to blow past some of the blowback,” he said.

“Those of us who've raised questions along the way are often tarred and feathered by folks in the administration because we have been pushing for them to live up to their promises. They, I think, do a better job with the speeches and the slogans than they do when it comes to the actions,” Bruen told USA Today.

“This is a baffling episode, and while there is much we still do not know, it is hard to see how any of the new revelations will make this better than what it looks like now: a case of really bad judgment,” Peter Feaver, a political science professor at Duke University said.

“The apparent decision to keep the White House in the dark is the most baffling aspect of all since Cabinet officers have to keep their boss informed at all times about their movements,” he added.