President Barack Obama’s brief trip to Phoenix Thursday included an off-schedule trip to a housing development and a policy speech at a local high school. But, as NBC affiliate KPNX noted in its report, the president’s motorcade drove past the campus of the Phoenix Veterans Affairs hospital, which became “ground zero” for a nationwide scandal after reports that at least 35 veterans died while waiting to receive care.
“When he did come by the VA, he did a drive-by,” says KPNX reporter William Pitts said. “And a lot of critics are saying the changes at the VA—they’re a drive-by, too.” Watch the video below, which includes an interview with a veteran with liver cancer who says he has not received proper care from the Phoenix VA hospital:
The White House confirmed earlier this week that President Obama would not stop by the hospital, despite the fact the hospital was just a 5-minute drive from the school at which Obama spoke.
