Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin III has been in the hospital since Monday, after complications from a recent elective medical procedure, the Pentagon said on Friday.
Maj. Gen. Patrick S. Ryder, the Pentagon press secretary, declined to elaborate on the source of Mr. Austin’s medical issues, citing patient privacy. But in a statement on Friday, General Ryder said the defense secretary, who is 70, is “recovering well and is expecting to resume his full duties today.”
During Mr. Austin’s time in the hospital, Kathleen Hicks, the deputy defense secretary, “was prepared to act for and exercise the powers of the secretary, if required,” General Ryder said in the statement.
Mr. Austin is at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Md., General Ryder said.
