Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin’s secret hospitalizations "unnecessarily" increased America’s national security risk, according to a new report from the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General (OIG). 

The Pentagon watchdog’s scathing 188-page review scrutinizes the secretary’s hospitalizations in December 2023, January 2024 and February 2024 and puts the blame on Austin’s team for communication lapses and failures to transfer authority.  

OIG noted the main role Austin’s "strong desire for privacy about his medical condition" played in the breakdown of communications within the Pentagon, as well as between Defense Department and the White House and Congress.

Neither Austin’s chief of staff nor Deputy Defense Secretary Kathleen Hicks knew of his cancer diagnosis or the procedure he underwent in December 2023. In fact, OIG notes that "nearly all of his staff" were unaware of Austin’s medical condition and treatments.

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Evidence also allegedly indicates that, on Jan. 1, 2024, when he was taken to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center for "severe" pain, Austin requested the ambulance not use lights or sirens. Additionally, according to the report, Austin told his personal security officer not to notify anyone about the incident.

"No one on Secretary Austin’s staff knew the seriousness of his condition, including when his condition became worse and he was transferred to the Surgical Intensive Care Unit on January 2," OIG noted in its report.

On Jan. 3, 2024, Austin’s chief of staff, Kelly Magsamen, texted the secretary’s junior military assistant, who was in the hospital with the secretary at the time. In her message, Magsamen urged the secretary to be more forthcoming about his condition.

"I wish [Secretary Austin] were a normal person but he’s the [Secretary of Defense]. We have a big institutional responsibility. He can’t just go totally dark on his staff. … Please pass to him that we can’t keep his hospitalization a secret forever. It’s kind of big deal for him to be in the [SICU]. And I’m worried sick," Magsamen wrote, according to the OIG report.

The OIG also found that on Feb. 11, 2024, when Austin was once again unexpectedly hospitalized, his authorities were not transferred "until several hours later." In reference to this incident, the OIG noted that "given the seriousness of his condition," Austin’s authorities should have been transferred "hours earlier than ultimately occurred."

After its review, the OIG gave the DOD 20 recommendations to "improve processes" and advised the department to act on them promptly. 

PENTAGON RELEASES SUMMARY OF AUSTIN HOSPITAL REVIEW

Inspector General Robert Storch said in a statement that "while the DoD has taken some important steps to address these concerns, additional improvements are required to ensure the DoD’s readiness, transparency, and the fulfillment of its mission. These improvements are not just an administrative necessity; they are an operational and national security imperative." 

Ultimately, the report found that the Department of Defense lacked a "comprehensive" plan for handing off duties in the event of the secretary’s absence.

After the report’s release, a senior defense official admitted to reporters that Austin "made a mistake," insisting "there was no scandal" and "there was no cover up." The official also noted that "at every moment, either the Secretary of Defense or the Deputy Secretary of Defense was fully prepared to support the president."

Austin acknowledged his office’s shortcomings in a February 2024 press conference shortly after the hospitalizations became public.

"I want to be crystal clear. We did not handle this right, and I did not handle this right," Austin said at the time regarding his previous hospitalization. "I should have told the president about my cancer diagnosis. I should have also told my team and the American public, and I take full responsibility. I apologize to my teammates and to the American people."

Liz Friden contributed to this report.

FIRST ON FOX: A Democrat senator admitted Tuesday that he would support Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin's confirmation again if the vote was held today despite Austin's many controversial actions and repeatedly grilling Trump's SecDef nominee Pete Hegseth over his qualifications earlier in the day.

"Would you vote for Lloyd Austin if there were a vote on him today?" Fox News Digital asked Blumenthal on Tuesday. 

"I would support General Austin as Secretary of Defense," Blumenthal responded. "I did when he was nominated. I would support Secretary Mattis that was nominated by President Trump during his first term. I would not support this nominee because [Hegseth] lacks the financial management skills, the character and confidence, as well as the moral compass."

During the hearing, Blumenthal told Hegseth, "I don't believe that you can tell this committee, or the people of America that you are qualified to lead them. I would support you as the spokesperson for the Pentagon. I don't dispute your communication skills, but I believe that we are entitled to the facts here."

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Austin has been widely criticized by conservatives, as well as some Democrats, for presiding over the chaotic and deadly withdrawal from Afghanistan as well as several other perceived missteps during his tenure, including a situation where he was forced to directly apologize to President Biden for not informing him that he was hospitalized. 

"Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin oversaw the catastrophic Afghanistan withdrawal, let the Chinese make rapid advancements to catch up to our defense capabilities, went MIA for days leaving the Pentagon without a leader, prioritized DEI policies over defense needs, and allowed Biden’s policy of appeasement," GOP House Speaker Mike Johnson posted on X on Tuesday. "We need a DECISIVE leader who can focus the Department of Defense on its mission of protecting America. We need Pete Hegseth."

Rep. Cory Mills, R-Fla., an Army veteran of both the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, unsuccessfully handed Austin articles of impeachment in 2023, blaming him for a "25,000-plus recruitment shortage" and saying there were "8,400 people who were unconstitutionally purged from the military … you've got pronouns and DEI [diversity, equity and inclusion] being taught at our military academies when we need to be focusing on what the next threat is and how we mitigate it."

"Not only do I believe that you should have resigned ... I myself perceive this as a dereliction of duty, and I take that very seriously," Mills told Austin during the hearing before recounting what he believed were Austin's failures during the Afghanistan withdrawal. "Political optics was placed above the true military strategy, where we should have held Bagram Air Base, held the detention center … not shut down and entrap Americans by taking over HKIA (Hamid Karazai International Airport), the commercial airspace and abandoning thousands of Americans."

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Conservatives on social media also brought up a controversy from 2010 when Blumenthal was first running for Senate, where he suggested on multiple occasions he had served in Vietnam when he had not. Blumenthal, who received several draft deferments before serving in the Marine Corps. Reserve,  ultimately acknowledged that he had "misspoken" about his record but described those instances as few and far between.

"Democrat Senator Richard Blumenthal, who lied about serving in Vietnam to get elected, berating combat vet Pete Hegseth is a bit hard to take," Fox News contributor Katie Pavlich posted on X on Tuesday.

"Reminder: Sen. Blumenthal lied for his entire adult life about fighting in a war that he did not," Fox News contributor Guy Benson posted on X. 

In a statement to Fox News Digital, Sen. Blumenthal made the case that Tuesday’s hearing was about Hegseth’s record and not his. 

"The people of Connecticut have always been clear about my record of military service, which is why they overwhelmingly elected me three times to the United States Senate," Blumenthal said. "This hearing was about Pete Hegseth’s record of alleged sexual assault, alcohol abuse, and financial mismanagement that showed him to be unqualified and unprepared to command 3.4 million Americans who protect our nation’s security."

Fox News' Michael Lee contributed reporting.

Former CIA Operations officer Laura Ballman says the mysterious drone sightings are 'extremely unsettling' as the public seeks answers on 'Fox News Live.'

Drones sightings across New Jersey have unsettled residents for weeks with no official explanations being offered. Ballman argued that circumstances around the drone sightings suggest it may be a U.S. operation.

"Deducing the statements from [National Security spokesman] John Kirby that these drones are not operating illegally, coupled with several op-eds that have been out there in the last 24 hours about the need to look at our detection systems, makes me think perhaps this is actually a classified exercise to test either evasion technology or detection technology in urban areas," Ballman said.

Ballman went on to say she would be "shocked" if the drones were related to the CIA, saying it is "not their mandate to operate in the United States." She added that she is "troubled" by why the U.S. government has not been forthcoming with information regarding the drones.

MORE THAN 20 DAYS INTO PHENOMENON, PENTAGON STILL HAS NO ANSWERS ABOUT ORIGINS OF MYSTERIOUS NJ DRONES

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U.S. national security officials sought to dispel concerns about the mysterious drones flying over the Northeast in a recent call with reporters, one going as far as describing nationwide uneasiness as "a slight overreaction."

The call, attended by Fox News Digital Saturday, was hosted by senior Biden administration officials, including representatives from the FBI, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the National Security Council (NSC), the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Department of Defense (DOD).

The senior officials remained tight-lipped about the origins of the drones, which are still being investigated. The mysterious aircraft were first spotted flying above northern New Jersey in mid-November and have been repeatedly seen by thousands of residents over the past few weeks.

MORE THAN 20 DAYS INTO PHENOMENON, PENTAGON STILL HAS NO ANSWERS ABOUT ORIGINS OF MYSTERIOUS NJ DRONES

During the call with reporters, an FBI official said his agency has received 5,000 tips since the first mysterious drone was seen flying above the Garden State in November. Of those 5,000 tips, fewer than 100 warranted further investigation, the official said.

The FBI official added that investigators have found no evidence of large-scale unmanned drone activity despite the recent uptick in drone activity in recent weeks.

"We're doing our best to find the origin of that specific … those drone activities," the official said. "But I think there has been a slight overreaction."

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Echoing comments from the FBI representative, a DHS official noted that, while his agency is not dismissing all tips about the drones as non-credible, "the amount of actual drone activity is likely less than what's being reported."

Fox News' Andrea Margolis contributed to this report.