Senior White House officials pushed the Pentagon to release a statement on Austin’s hospitalization

Senior White House officials pushed the Pentagon to release a statement on Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin’s hospitalization after learning of his status on Thursday, two administration officials told CNN.

White House chief of staff Jeff Zients and national security adviser Jake Sullivan called Austin’s chief of staff, Kelly Magsamen, on Thursday urging the department to release a public disclosure statement as soon as possible, the officials said.

Sullivan learned about Austin’s hospitalization shortly before he and deputy national security adviser Jon Finer were set to appear with Austin at an event at Joint Base Myer on Thursday, one official said.

CNN has reached out to the Pentagon for comment.

Politico was the first to report on the White House’s push for a statement.

Austin is being treated for prostate cancer and suffered complications that led to him being taken to hospital on New Year’s Day, according to a statement on Tuesday from Walter Reed National Military Medical Center.

The statement revealed that the cancer was discovered in early December. He underwent a “minimally invasive surgical procedure” on December 22 called a prostatectomy to treat the cancer.

On January 1, Austin was readmitted to the hospital due to complications “including nausea with severe abdominal, hip and leg pain.” He was found to have a urinary tract infection, the statement said.

The Pentagon had been facing intense questions after it was revealed on Friday that he had been admitted to Walter Reed on January 1 and had been hospitalized for days without notifying the public. It was subsequently reported that President Joe Biden, senior national security officials and even Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks – who had assumed Austin’s duties – were not aware of the defense secretary’s hospitalization until three days after he was admitted.

It was previously unclear if Austin had been under anesthesia during the procedure, which the Pentagon had not previously disclosed and did not alert the White House to.