Only a few days later, the Biden administration was informed that US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin he was hospitalizedat least one official told the US press BBC.

Austin, 70, was admitted to Walter Reed Medical Center on Monday with complications from surgery.

The official told CBS (the US affiliate of the BBC) that the Biden administration was not informed until Thursday morning.

Lloyd Austin Austin said he blames himself for the lack of communication.

“I recognize that I could have done better to ensure that the public was properly informed,” he said in a statement.

“I pledge to do better” in the future, he added.

The Secretary of Defense ranks below the President in the US military command structure.

Austin added that “it’s important to say: This was my medical procedure and I take full responsibility for my disclosure decisions.”

“I am very happy to be on the mend and look forward to returning to the Pentagon soon.”

Lloyd Austin’s deputy at the helm of the Pentagon is on vacation

The defense minister is believed to be still in hospital, but the AFP news agency quoted a defense ministry spokesman as saying he had resumed his duties on Friday.

It is unclear how much of his duties Austin was able to perform due to his illness, nor to what extent Assistant Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks stepped in to help.

Officials told CNN that she was on duty intermittently while he was in the hospital while she was vacationing in Puerto Rico.

Meanwhile, Joe Biden is said to have had a “warm” conversation with Austin on Saturday.

“The President has full confidence in Minister Austin. He is looking forward to his return to the Pentagon,” the official told AFP.