Secretary Austin: ‘I Did Not Handle This Right’
Austin: “But in my first week back in the Pentagon, I did want to address my recent hospital stay and some of the issues around it. I’m recovering well, but as you can see, I’m still recovering, 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. But I want to be crystal clear, we did not handle this right, I did not handle this right. 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. Now, I want to make it very clear that there were no gaps in authorities and no risk to the department’s command and control. At every moment, either I or the deputy secretary was in full charge. And we’ve already put in place some new procedures to make sure that any lapses in notification don’t happen. In the future if the deputy secretary needs to temporarily assume the office the — the duties of my office, she and several White House offices will be immediately notified, including the White House Situation Room, so will key officials across the department. And the reason for that assumption of duties will be included in writing.
Now, I want you all to know that — to know why this happened. I was being treated for prostate cancer — the news shook me, and I know that it shakes so many others, especially in the black community. It was a gut punch. And frankly, my first instinct was to keep it private. I don’t think it’s news that I’m a pretty private guy, I never like to burdening others with my problems. It’s just not my way. But I’ve learned from this experience. So taking this kind of job means losing some of the privacy that most of us expect. The American people have a right to know if their leaders are facing health challenges that might affect their ability to perform their duties, even temporarily. So a wider circle should have been notified, especially the president.”
-
3:21
Tony Katz
15 days agoAftermath of Pro-Hamas Protest at Union Station in Washington DC
6766 -
3:26:06
Jewels Jones Live ®
1 day agoMARXIST TIM WALZ | A Political Rendezvous - Ep. 87
74.4K85 -
1:12:55
Michael Franzese
14 hours agoIs the left DESTROYING America? Woke Culture HAS Gone Too Far | Sitdown with Konstantin Kisin
103K123 -
2:14:30
vivafrei
16 hours agoEngland Descend into FULL TYRANNY! Live with Tommy Robinson! Viva Frei
196K954 -
21:23
MYLUNCHBREAK CHANNEL PAGE
1 day agoHidden Old World Senses?
88.3K54 -
27:33
Brewzle
16 hours agoThis Liquor Store Is Selling Elmer T. Lee For How Much? | Indiana Bourbon Hunt
76.6K19 -
10:20
Adam Does Movies
15 hours agoBorderlands Movie Review - Stick To The Games
78.3K12 -
6:18
Tactical Advisor
19 hours agoMy $250,000 Vault Room
66.1K21 -
57:44
Officially Unfollowed
1 day ago $5.35 earnedEp. 2 | Unfollowed
118K193 -
1:43:31
The Gun Collective Podcast
1 day agoElite GunTuber Panel @ GunCon 2024!
116K21