The Pentagon announced that the US Secretary of Defense left the hospital on Monday after spending two weeks there, although he sparked controversy because he remained silent about his hospitalization for several days, including from the White House.
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Lloyd Austin, who had received support from President Joe Biden despite his silence, said: “As I continue to recover and carry out my duties from home, I look forward to making a full recovery and returning to the Pentagon as quickly as possible.”
The 70-year-old former general learned in early December that he was suffering from prostate cancer. He had surgery on December 22, returned home the next day, and was hospitalized again starting January 1 due to complications, including nausea and severe pain.
The White House was not informed until January 4 of his hospitalization, and the announcement was made on January 5.
This situation has caused quite a stir in the press and among his Republican opponents, in the middle of an election year and at a time when the world's leading military power is embroiled in several major conflicts, from Ukraine to the Middle East.
By supporting Kiev against Russia and Israel against Palestinian Hamas, Washington, whose forces are regularly under attack in Iraq and Syria, is mobilizing its international partners against the Houthi rebels in Yemen who threaten shipping in the Red Sea.
The White House acknowledged that these secret hospitalizations were not “ideal” and some elected Democrats expressed alarm about the situation.
If the president maintains his “confidence” in his minister, according to his spokesman, the White House will order a review of the rules applied in the event of the incapacity of senior officials.
