White House assures US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin will keep position amid secretive hospital admit

White House confirms Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin will keep his job despite controversy over delayed hospitalization disclosure. Investigation underway.

The White House has confirmed that US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin will not be removed from his position, despite the controversy surrounding his delayed disclosure of his hospitalisation last week. According to White House spokesman John Kirby, there are no plans for anything other than for Secretary Austin to remain in his role. Kirby also stated that Mr. Austin, who is 70 years old, was still in the hospital as of Monday morning.

The White House and the Pentagon have faced criticism after it was revealed that Austin had been in the hospital for three days before President Joe Biden was informed. As the second-in-command in the US military's command structure, Austin is expected to be prepared to handle any national security crisis at any time.

On Monday, Kirby announced that the White House would conduct an investigation into the incident and take the necessary steps to learn from it. He mentioned that they would be assessing processes and procedures to see if any changes or modifications are needed in order to prevent similar incidents from occurring in the future.

Kirby also emphasized that President Biden's primary concern was Austin's health and recovery, expressing hope for his prompt return to the Pentagon. A Pentagon spokesman confirmed that Austin had undergone an elective medical procedure on December 22nd and returned home the following day. However, on the night of January 1st, he experienced severe pain and was subsequently admitted to the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Washington DC.

According to Air Force Maj Gen Pat Ryder, Austin was placed in the intensive care unit (ICU) partly due to "hospital space considerations and privacy". While Austin resumed full duties on Friday, he remained in the hospital, though he was no longer in the ICU. In a statement issued on Saturday, the former four-star general acknowledged his mistake and pledged to do better in the future.

The situation with US Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin has raised concerns and sparked public debate, but it seems that the White House is standing by their decision to retain him in his position. The incident has prompted calls for greater transparency and communication within the administration, as well as a renewed focus on the health and well-being of government officials. Only time will tell how this situation will ultimately be resolved and what impact it will have on the Biden administration.

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