White House: No plan for change in US defense chief's post after secretive hospitalization

By Servet Gunerigok

WASHINGTON (AA) - The White House said on Monday that Defense Secretary Department Lloyd Austin will not be fired despite calls for his removal for keeping a multi-day hospital stay secret.

"There is no plan or anything other than for Secretary Austin to stay in the job and continue in the leadership that he's been demonstrating," National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told a news briefing en route to South Carolina.

Kirby said President Joe Biden's number one focus is on Austin's health and recovery and that "he looks forward to having him back at the Pentagon as soon as possible."

"He also respects the amazing job he's done as defense secretary, and how he's handled multiple crises over the last almost two years now," he added.

Austin’s hospitalization for an undisclosed medical condition has come under fire from many quarters over a lack of transparency that kept even the White House in the dark about his whereabouts, in a stark departure from normal protocol.

On Friday evening, the Pentagon issued a brief statement saying that Austin had been hospitalized four days earlier, on Jan. 1.

Spokesman Pat Ryder said in the statement that Austin was admitted to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Maryland "for complications following a recent elective medical procedure.”

Ryder did not provide details, saying only that Austin "is recovering well and is expecting to resume his full duties today."

Some US media reports indicated that Austin's hospital stay was kept secret not only from the public but also from senior US officials including Deputy Defense Secretary Kathleen Hicks and even President Biden for three days.

On Saturday, Austin released a statement addressing concerns surrounding his hospitalization, saying he takes full responsibility for his decisions about disclosure.

Austin spoke to Biden on Saturday.

Earlier on Monday, former President Donald Trump called for Austin's removal for keeping his hospitalization secret.

"Failed Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin should be fired immediately for improper professional conduct and dereliction of duty," said Trump, who frequently calls for departures or impeachments of Biden administration officials, in a Truth Social post.