A Pentagon spokesman announced that US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, who is suffering from prostate cancer, has delegated his duties to his deputy on Sunday, hours after he was admitted to the hospital due to an “emergency problem.”
“Secretary Austin has transferred the ministry’s duties” to Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks, spokesman Pat Ryder said in a statement. He added that Hicks is handling Austin's “missions,” noting that the minister is still receiving treatment and that the White House and Congress have been informed of this.
Hours earlier, the Pentagon said that Austin “went to the hospital with the necessary classified and unclassified communications systems” to perform his duties.
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