Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin is still facing questions about his secretive hospital stay earlier this year.
During a House hearing on Thursday, Rep. Jim Banks (R-Ind.) asked Austin about the circumstances around his hospitalization, which President Joe Biden and other White House officials did not know of for several days.
“Is it typical that the president would go three days without talking to his secretary of Defense?” Banks asked.
Austin responded that there can be times when several days can go by without having “direct communication” with the president.
Banks shot back, “The big issue for me here is either the president is that aloof, or you are irrelevant. Which one is it Mr. Secretary? That the president would go three days without knowing that his secretary of Defense is not on the job.”
“It’s neither,” Austin responded.
He added, “The president is not aloof, and I participate in all of the critical decision-making.”
Watch the exchange below:
Rep. Jim Banks (R-IN) asks Defense Sec. Lloyd Austin if he is “irrelevant” or if President Biden is “aloof” due to the lack of transparency around his cancer hospitalization.
— The Recount (@therecount) February 29, 2024
Austin: “The president is not aloof, and I participate in all of the critical decision-making.” pic.twitter.com/t5dqoedqCx
During a press conference early this month, Austin noted he is “recovering well” from surgery to treat prostate cancer that took place in December.
He then addressed the failure to properly notify the White House and President Joe Biden of his hospitalization in January after he experienced severe pain as result of an infection.
“I want to be crystal clear, we did not handle this right, and I did not handle this right. I should’ve told the president about my cancer diagnosis. I should’ve also told my team and the American public,” the Defense secretary said.