Lloyd Austin leaves Walter Reed after being hospitalized over bladder issue

Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin was released from Walter Reed National Military Medical Center on Tuesday afternoon following his hospitalization over a bladder issue and has resumed his duties.

He will serve remotely from home while he recovers but should return to the Pentagon this week, the Department of Defense announced. His doctors further confirmed that he underwent a non-surgical procedure to address the issue that was unrelated to his cancer diagnosis.

Austin was hospitalized on Sunday, a development that led to his cancelling a planned trip to Europe.

The defense secretary was hospitalized earlier this year due to complications from a prior surgery. He did not notify the White House for several days leading to scrutiny of his handling of the situation and even calls for his resignation.

Austin was diagnosed with cancer in December of 2023 and received a procedure at that time. He has since apologized for not disclosing the diagnosis.

"I should have told the president about my cancer diagnosis," he said at a Pentagon press conference in early February. "I should have also told my team and the American public, and I take full responsibility. I apologize to my teammates and to the American people." 

Ben Whedon is an editor and reporter for Just the News. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter.