Fired Veterans Affairs Secretary David Shulkin said he agrees with President Trump’s view that the agency was was not moving fast enough to provide care to veterans.
“He wasn’t happy with the pace, and you know, I agree with the president. This is [an] organization that needs to change, it needs to do better at its job and we all want to do it faster and better because it’s so important to the county,” Shulkin told Fox New host Bret Baier Thursday evening, about 24 hours after he was let go.
“And I think the president has the right to have the secretary that he wants with him,” Shulkin added.
.@SecShulkin on being fired from the WH: “He wasn’t happy with the pace and you know, I agree with @POTUS. This is [an] organization that needs to change, it needs to do better at its job and we all want to do it faster and better.” #SpecialReport pic.twitter.com/GEk3cyjgGC
— Fox News (@FoxNews) March 29, 2018
Trump said he made leadership changes at the agency because of his dissatisfaction with the timeliness veterans were receiving care.
“That is why I made some changes, because I wasn’t happy with the speed with which our veterans were taken care of,” Trump said Thursday in Richfield, Ohio. “I wasn’t happy with it. And we have made a lot of progress.”
Shulkin attributed his ouster to some Trump administration officials who saw him as an impediment to privatizing the agency in an op-ed published in the New York Times earlier in the day Thursday.
“It seems that these successes within the department have intensified the ambitions of people who want to put V.A. health care in the hands of the private sector,” Shulkin wrote.
“I believe differences in philosophy deserve robust debate, and solutions should be determined based on the merits of the arguments. The advocates within the administration for privatizing V.A. health services, however, reject this approach,” Shulkin added. “They saw me as an obstacle to privatization who had to be removed.”
Trump announced, via tweet, Wednesday evening that Navy Rear Adm. Ronny Jackson, who has been the White House physician for former Presidents George W. Bush, Barack Obama, as well as Trump, would be nominated to replace Shulkin.
“I am pleased to announce that I intend to nominate highly respected Admiral Ronny L. Jackson, MD, as the new Secretary of Veterans Affairs. In the interim, Hon. Robert Wilkie of DOD will serve as Acting Secretary. I am thankful for Dr. David Shulkin’s service to our country and to our GREAT VETERANS!” Trump tweeted Wednesday.
Robert Wilkie, the current undersecretary of defense for personnel and readiness, will be stepping in to serve as the acting Veterans Affairs secretary until Jackson receives confirmation from the Senate.
