U.S. Secretary of Defense Austin did not inform President Biden of his hospitalization for three days, and amid criticism from a crisis management perspective, he held a press conference and apologized, saying, ``I did not handle it correctly.'' .
U.S. Secretary of Defense Austin did not inform President Biden in advance that he had undergone surgery for prostate cancer under general anesthesia in late December last year, and was admitted to the hospital on January 1 due to complications. However, the crisis was not communicated for three days, leading to severe criticism from Congress and other parties regarding the state of crisis management.
Against this backdrop, Secretary Austin held his first press conference since being discharged from the Pentagon on the 1st, saying, ``I did not respond correctly.I should have told President Biden that I had been diagnosed with cancer, and I should have told my colleagues and "I should have informed the American people," he said, apologizing.
He added, ``We have already reviewed our procedures to avoid any miscommunications,'' and emphasized that information will be shared more smoothly within the Pentagon and with the White House.
Secretary Austin also denied the possibility of resigning when asked by a reporter, saying, ``I will not resign.''