Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin held a press conference Thursday in which he admitted that he did not handle his recent hospitalization correctly.
This week has been Austin’s first week back at the Pentagon since his release from Walter Reed National Military Medical Center on Jan. 15. Austin, 70, was diagnosed with prostate cancer in December and spent two weeks in the hospital following complications from a prostatectomy. His hospitalization was controversially kept secret for days not only from the public but also President Joe Biden.
“I’m recovering well, but as you can see, I’m still recovering. I’m still having some leg pain and doing physical therapy to get past it. I’m deeply grateful to my doctors and the nursing staff at Walter Reed, and I very much appreciate all the good wishes,” Austin said.
“But I want to be crystal clear: We did not handle this right, and I did not handle this right,” Austin continued. “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.”
