Prostate cancer: The White House criticizes…

US President Biden did not learn that his Secretary of Defense, Lloyd Austin, had been diagnosed with prostate cancer until a few hours before the audience.

According to the White House, US President Joe Biden did not learn that his Secretary of Defense, Lloyd Austin, had been diagnosed with prostate cancer until Tuesday morning. “No one in the White House knew that Secretary Austin had prostate cancer until this morning,” John Kirby, communications director for the National Security Council, said Tuesday. This means that Biden found out about Austin's illness a few hours before the audience.

Kirby explained that Biden wishes the 70-year-old a speedy recovery. Asked if Biden intends to keep Austin until the end of his term early next year, Kirby said, “Yes.”

“This is not how this is supposed to happen.”

At the same time, the White House was clearly critical of Austin's media policy. “This is not how it's supposed to happen,” Kirby said. This is why Biden wants to reconsider the procedures for such cases in the government. Kirby said it's important to make sure something like this doesn't happen again. As a member of the Cabinet, everyone knows that this comes with a commitment to being as transparent as possible.

The Pentagon chief's hospitalization caused an uproar because the department did not initially announce it. US President Biden also did not know about the matter for several days. It is common practice in the United States for the public to be very closely informed about the health of senior politicians.

Austin announced just Tuesday that he was diagnosed with prostate cancer in early December. Complications arose at the beginning of the year after an operation shortly before Christmas; Austin had to be treated in the intensive care unit. The cancer was detected early and the treatment prognosis was “excellent,” as the responsible clinic near Washington, D.C., announced on Tuesday. (APA/DPA)