Biden concedes Austin's failure to tell WH about hospitalization was a lapse in judgment

President Joe Biden on Friday asserted that he still had confidence in Defense Lloyd Secretary Lloyd Austin amid controversy surrounding his failure to notify the White House for days, though he conceded the issue demonstrated a lapse in his judgment.

"Yes," was Biden's response to whether Austin's failure to notify him of the hospitalization constitute a lapse in judgment, The Hill reported. Austin was hospitalized Jan. 1 due to complications from a prior surgery. Biden learned of his absence on Jan. 4.

Biden's assessment comes the same day as reports that Austin has remained active in defense activities from his hospital bed, planning and overseeing the Thursday U.S. strikes on the Iran-backed Houthi group in Yemen.

Austin's undisclosed hospitalization has attracted scrutiny from Republicans and Democrats alike. 

"I have lost trust in Secretary Lloyd Austin's leadership of the Defense Department due to the lack of transparency about his recent medical treatment and its impact on the continuity of the chain of command," Democratic Rep. Chris Deluzio said Wednesday. "I have a solemn duty in Congress to conduct oversight of the Defense Department through my service on the House Armed Services Committee. That duty today requires me to call on Secretary Austin to resign."

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