Facing reporters in the press briefing room for the first time since his secret hospitalization, Austin said he wanted to be "crystal clear" that the whole affair was not handled properly.
"We did not handle this right. I did not handle this right. I should have told the president about my cancer diagnosis," Austin said.
"I should have also told my team and the American public, and I take full responsibility," he added. "I apologize to my teammates and to the American people."
Austin has faced mounting criticism for keeping his New Year's Day hospitalization under wraps.
He did not inform President Biden or key White House officials of the hospitalization for three days, despite spending time in intensive care for a urinary tract infection.
He also kept it secret for three days from Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks, who assumed Pentagon command for four days, and failed to share his early December prostate cancer diagnosis with Biden until after the hospitalization.
Austin said it was a mistake not to tell Biden about the diagnosis, but he also said the chain of command was kept intact and national security was never threatened.
Austin said the need for secrecy about his diagnosis was out of a desire to keep the issue private and not burden his boss at the White House.
"The news shook me, and I know that it shakes so many others, especially in the Black community. It was a gut punch," said Austin. "And, frankly, my first instinct was to keep it private."
He added that he "learned from this experience."
"Taking this kind of job means losing some of the privacy that most of us expect," he said. "The American people have a right to know if their leaders are facing health challenges."
The political scandal prompted reviews from the White House, Pentagon and Defense Department Inspector General's office.
Congress — where some Republicans accuse Austin of dereliction of duty for imperiling national security and are calling for him to resign — has also requested a formal hearing on the issue.
Read the full report here.
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