Lloyd Austin was hospitalized after 'experiencing severe pain,' Pentagon says
ABC News
Joe Biden was exasperated at not more quickly being informed of Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin's ongoing hospitalization, a U.S. official tells ABC News
President Joe Biden was exasperated at not more quickly being informed of Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin's ongoing hospitalization -- which was only publicly revealed late last week after several days -- a U.S. official tells ABC News as the Pentagon is providing some new details about Austin's health issues.
The U.S. official said that there will be a review of the unusual way in which Austin's medical treatment was disclosed and someone could lose their job.
The White House is publicly standing by Austin, with one administration official telling ABC News on Sunday that Biden "has full confidence in Secretary Austin" and is "looking forward to him being back at the Pentagon."
The president and Austin also spoke Saturday evening and had what the White House official called a "warm conversation."
However, the U.S. official said White House aides were angered at the lack of information about Austin being hospitalized at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland. (The White House did not have further comment for this story.)
