Lloyd Austin was treated for prostate cancer before health emergency, Pentagon says | WaPo

autotldr Bot , 5 months ago

This is the best summary I could come up with:

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Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin had surgery last month after a prostate cancer diagnosis, officials disclosed Tuesday, detailing for the first time what condition led to medical complications and a lengthy hospitalization that he kept secret from the White House, Congress and the American public for several days.

He was diagnosed with a urinary tract infection, and additional evaluation determined abdominal fluids had impaired the function of his small intestines, prompting doctors to drain his stomach with a tube through his nose, the statement says.

An uproar ensued, beginning this past weekend, when it was learned the Defense Department failed to notify President Biden and the White House that Austin was in the hospital.

Critics, including political allies, have chastised the administration for its secrecy, with many noting the calamity that could have occurred with the United States actively, if indirectly, involved in two wars and the recent rise in attacks on U.S. forces deployed in the Middle East.

White House officials have stated repeatedly in recent days that Austin’s job is not in jeopardy despite his failure to disclose a his illness — even in a personal conversation with the president over the weekend.

Parallel reviews launched by the White House and the Pentagon — into the delegation of authority across Cabinet agencies and the handling of Austin’s hospitalization, respectively — raised the possibility that officials may choose not to disclose additional details about the recent events while those investigations unfold.

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