House Democrat calls for Pentagon chief to resign: 'I have lost trust in Secretary Lloyd Austin's leadership'

Democratic Rep. Chris Deluzio of Pennsylvania is calling for Defense Sec. Lloyd Austin to resign.

"I have lost trust in Secretary Lloyd Austin’s leadership of the Defense Department due to the lack of transparency about his recent medical treatment and its impact on the continuity of the chain of command. I have a solemn duty in Congress to conduct oversight of the Defense Department through my service on the House Armed Services Committee. That duty today requires me to call on Secretary Austin to resign," Deluzio said in a statement.

"I thank Secretary Austin for his leadership and years of dedicated service to the American people and wish him a speedy recovery," he added.

Some Republicans have called for Austin to step down.

GOP Rep. Matt Rosendale of Montana is pushing a resolution that targets the Pentagon chief for impeachment over the infamous Chinese spy balloon that flew above the U.S. last year.

Austin was hospitalized on January 1 due to health issues following a December prostatectomy performed due to prostate cancer, according to a January 9 statement from Dr. John Maddox and Dr. Gregory Chesnut.

President Joe Biden learned about of the hospitalization on January 4, according to NSC coordinator for strategic communications John Kirby, who also said that Biden only learned about the prostate cancer on January 9.

Austin is still hospitalized at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, Pentagon Press Sec. Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder noted in a statement on Wednesday, noting that the defense secretary "is in good condition."

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