Biden officials were unaware US defence secretary was in hospital

The Pentagon’s failure to disclose Mr Austin’s hospital admission for days reflects a stunning lack of transparency about his illness, how serious it was and when he may be released

US secretary of defence Lloyd Austin is in hospital (Picture: Maya Alleruzzo/AP)

Senior Biden administration leaders, top Pentagon officials and members of Congress were unaware for days that US defence secretary Lloyd Austin had been in hospital since Monday, US officials said, as questions swirled about his condition and the secrecy surrounding it.

The Pentagon did not inform the White House National Security Council or top adviser Jake Sullivan of Mr Austin’s hospital admission at Walter Reed National Military Medical Centre in Bethesda, Maryland, until Thursday, according to two administration officials.