Reactions are a mix of sympathy for his condition and outrage over the way it was handled.
Stunned Defense Department officials struggled on Tuesday to digest the news that Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin had been diagnosed with prostate cancer and kept it a secret for weeks.
Officials described emotional whiplash as details about Austin’s condition and failure to notify even his closest advisers trickled out over the past few days. On Tuesday, they were shocked to hear of Austin’s
early December diagnosis, Dec. 22 surgery and subsequent complications that landed him in the intensive care unit on Jan. 1.
POLITICO spoke to five officials in the Pentagon and administration, as well as two former officials, all of whom were granted anonymity to give candid reactions to the disclosures. They said they are sympathetic to Austin’s desire for privacy, but confused as to why he kept his diagnosis and subsequent hospitalization from his own staff and top Pentagon leaders.
And some are incensed that Austin withheld his cancer diagnosis from President Joe Biden until Tuesday, weeks after Austin learned of his condition in an early December prostate screening.
One DOD official described being “disappointed” in the well-respected secretary’s decision-making.
“He made a deliberate decision to not share something so important at minimum with the POTUS. It was reckless and irresponsible,” the official said. “I don’t want to take away the human element of his diagnosis. … However, his judgment should be questioned on this one.”
But others are giving Austin the benefit of the doubt. A second DOD official said the defense secretary’s team “respects his privacy” and that “we all trust him.”
“I think folks think the notification of his hospitalization could have been smoother, but I don’t think anyone is angry he didn’t discuss his diagnosis,” the official said. “I don’t think it was intentional, so we clearly need better processes.”
A Pentagon spokesperson declined to comment for this story.
The news has prompted calls for investigations from Republicans
and even some Democrats. Some in the GOP have called for Austin to quit or be fired. People close to Biden have
told POLITICO that Biden has no plans to sack his Pentagon chief and wouldn’t accept a resignation if offered.
