Breaking: Lloyd Austin Went Under General Anesthesia for Prostate Cancer Surgery December 22; Did Not Tell Biden or Deputy Secretary Hicks

Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, 70, secretly had prostate cancer surgery on December 22, Walter Reed doctors revealed in a statement on Tuesday, adding Austin was placed under general anesthesia for the operation. The Pentagon said yesterday that Austin did not inform Joe Biden, the White House or Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks about the medical procedure.

Austin was secretly taken back to the hospital by ambulance a week later on New Year’s Day in “severe pain” from complications from the cancer surgery where he then spent a week being treated in the Intensive Care Unit at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland.

Austin kept just about everyone in the dark about his condition until last week, including Joe Biden even though the U.S. is involved in conflicts in the Middle East and Europe and a hot zone in the South China Sea.

Austin was gravely ill with a spreading infection and intestinal issues requiring a tube to drain his stomach. Austin is now out of the ICU

Statement by Austin’s Walter Reed doctors:

White House spokespersons told reporters on Monday that Biden has no intention of firing Austin.

At Monday’s Pentagon press briefing, it was revealed the White House (meaning Biden) was not told about Austin’s surgery, nor was Deputy Secretary of defense Kathleen Hicks, reported CNN’s Haley Britzky, “NEW from gaggle today w/ @PentagonPresSec: The Pentagon did not inform the White House of Austin’s elective procedure on Dec 22, which led to the recent complications and hospitalization. DepSecDef was also not informed of the procedure despite being delegated some authorities.”

NEW from gaggle today w/ @PentagonPresSec: The Pentagon did not inform the White House of Austin’s elective procedure on Dec 22, which led to the recent complications and hospitalization.

DepSecDef was also not informed of the procedure despite being delegated some authorities.

— Haley Britzky (@halbritz) January 8, 2024

Transcript posted by Politico’s Alex Ward.

This is a huge deal that the civilian head of the military was unconscious during surgery and neither the White House nor his deputy knew. Austin repeated this pattern a week later when he went to the ICU.

Before this latest revelation there have been calls for Austin to resign or be fired made by Republican congressmen and senators, but so far no Democrats.

The latest Republicans to call for Austin’s resignation:

Four House Republicans who are former military pilots are calling on SecDef Lloyd Austin to resign or be fired

Signed by Reps. August Pfluger, Mike Garcia, Scott Franklin & Jake Ellzey pic.twitter.com/JN4x1kqQ4D

— Liz Elkind (@liz_elkind) January 9, 2024