Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said Thursday that his recent cancer diagnosis was a “gut punch” that left him shaken, disclosing new details about his ensuing medical crisis and asserting that he did not direct his staff to withhold the situation from the White House.
“I want to be crystal clear: We did not handle this right. I did not handle this right,” Austin said. “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 the American people.”
Austin said his first instinct was to keep the diagnosis private, and has learned that serving in such a high-profile job, as a member of the president’s cabinet, means he has an obligation to be transparent. While several reviews are now underway into how the situation was handled, the defense secretary said he does not believe he created an environment in which his staff would have decided it was best to keep such vital information from the White House.