It's 10 p.m., Do You Know Where Your Defense Secretary Is?

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It's 10 p.m., Do You Know Where Your Defense Secretary Is?

Over the weekend, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin’s undisclosed hospitalization sparked controversy within the Biden administration. Questions surround the handling of information about Austin’s medical emergency, with criticism from Congress and media. The Pentagon faces scrutiny for not informing President Biden or the National Security Council promptly.

More from Politico:

The series of events, detailed to POLITICO by 10 current and former U.S. officials who were granted anonymity to discuss a sensitive matter, has raised questions about why Austin and his team went to such lengths to keep his situation under wraps. It’s also caused a major embarrassment for an administration that prides itself on professionalism, communication and teamwork — especially as it contrasts itself to the chaos of Donald Trump’s presidency.

[🙄 -Lisa]

“This has been an evolving situation, in which we had to consider a number of factors, including medical and personal privacy issues,” said Maj. Gen. Patrick Ryder, the Pentagon’s chief spokesperson. The secretary resumed full duties Friday evening following his recovery, but Ryder provided no update on when Austin would be discharged.

Austin likes to wield his influence behind closed doors, shunning the spotlight and avoiding the press. But his relationship with Biden has been seen as close and until this point he had not faced criticism — from within or outside the administration — for operating in an erratic way.

Austin is already trying to clean up one of his rare public missteps.

In a statement from his office, Austin acknowledged a lack of transparency and committed to better communication. Tensions continue to rise in the Middle East amid Austin's absence, leading to calls for accountability within the Pentagon for the handling of this situation.

RELATED: Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin remains hospitalized after mystery procedure; DoD remains mum on release (Fox News)

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