Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin (70) wants to hand over power to his deputy while he goes under the knife again for bladder problems
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin will hand over power to his deputy as he goes under the knife Friday evening at Walter Reed Medical Center.
The 70-year-old Pentagon chief will undergo a medical procedure for bladder problems and will be “unable to perform his functions.”
Deputy Minister of Defense Kathleen Hicks will therefore temporarily take over and act as Minister of Defense.
The Pentagon said the operation was not related to his battle with cancer, which was the center of controversy earlier this year when his treatment was not disclosed to the White House.
The procedure “has had no effect on his excellent cancer prognosis,” Pentagon press secretary Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder said in a statement.
He was hauled before Congress and admitted that he had made a mistake by not informing the public, the media or his second-in-command that he was going to the hospital.
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin will hand over power to his deputy as he goes under the knife Friday evening at Walter Reed Medical Center
The White House said in January that President Biden had “full confidence” in Austin and that he would continue to fulfill his duties.
The news came on a day when Austin was able to participate in a milestone for midshipmen, a graduation ceremony at the US Naval Academy in Annapolis.
He told them they would lead future sailors and Marines “through tension and uncertainty,” at a time when U.S. forces are protecting key waterways in the Red Sea amid war and tensions in the Middle East.
The Navy has stationed several ships in the Red Sea since the war between Israel and Hamas began on October 7, raising tensions in the region. The secretary said the two ensigns, who had just graduated last year, were aboard the Navy destroyer and “helped defend freedom of navigation in the Red Sea.”
Austin used a guinea pig after his hospitalization. He was at the White House on Thursday and gave a speech at the Naval Academy on Friday
“They helped people in need at sea,” Austin said. “They helped reduce the capabilities of the Iran-backed Houthi militia.”
Austin gave the speech for the second year in a row.
“I’m just glad you were so eager to bring back an old West Point guy,” said Austin, a graduate of the U.S. Military Academy. “And for anyone who thinks the second part can’t be as good as the first, just think of ‘Top Gun: Maverick.’
On Thursday, Austin attended an arrival ceremony for Kenyan President William Ruto.