Audio Of 911 Call Related To Lloyd Austin’s Secret Hospitalization Has Been Released

Marita Vlachou
·2 min read
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The audio of the 911 call a member of Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin’s team placed on New Year’s Day, asking for the Pentagon chief to be transferred to the hospital after he experienced complications following an earlier surgery, has been released.

The secretary’s secret hospitalization was met with concern in Washington as Austin failed to promptly notify top administration officials, including President Joe Biden, of his condition amid U.S. involvement in several major conflicts around the world, including Israel’s war in Gaza and Russia’s war in Ukraine.

The call was first obtained by The Daily Beast Tuesday through a Freedom of Information Act request in Virginia.

While parts of the call have been redacted, a member of Austin’s team is heard requesting an ambulance for the secretary to be transferred, preferably to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. The caller, whose name was also redacted, asked for discretion.

“Can the ambulance not show up with lights and sirens?” they asked. “We’re trying to remain a little subtle.”

In response to questions by the 911 dispatcher to assess Austin’s condition, the caller said the secretary wasn’t experiencing chest pain, had not passed out at any point and was alert and awake. They added that Austin had not vomited blood or had a bloody stool.

Austin was released from the hospital Monday, as his doctors said he “progressed well throughout his stay and his strength is rebounding,” noting that he may still have to undergo physical therapy.

Pentagon officials only last week revealed Austin had a prostatectomy on Dec. 22, complications from which led to Austin’s hospitalization on Jan. 1.

The decision to keep Austin’s admission to the hospital secret for three days from the president posed a “problem” for the White House, John Kirby, the National Security Council’s spokesperson, said this weekend. But Kirby said Austin was still working from the hospital and involved in his department’s decisions.

“I think it’s important for people to remember that the Cabinet officials don’t have to sit and talk every single day to make every decision,” Kirby told CBS’ “Face the Nation.” “A lot of the work that gets done in national security is done at the staff level.”

Biden has told reporters that while the episode showed a lapse in judgment, he maintained confidence in Austin.

The secretary has apologized for the way he handled the episode, saying he takes “full responsibility” for failing to be transparent.

The department’s inspector general has already launched an investigation, while Austin’s office and the White House have also opened separate probes. The House Armed Services Committee has begun an inquiry into the matter.

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