Austin says he could have better informed public about hospitalization

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said he could have better informed the public about his recent hospitalization after concerns arose over transparency and what the Pentagon knew.

“I am very glad to be on the mend and look forward to returning to the Pentagon soon,” Austin said in a statement Saturday. “I also understand the media concerns about transparency and I recognize I could have done a better job ensuring the public was appropriately informed. I commit to doing better.”

“But this is important to say: this was my medical procedure, and I take full responsibility for my decisions about disclosure,” Austin added.

The Pentagon announced Friday that Austin was admitted to Walter Reed Army Medical Center on Monday evening. He went to the hospital for “complications following a recent elective medical procedure.”