Trump fires chief of Veterans Affairs
Picks White House doctor as successor
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump fired Veterans Affairs Secretary David Shulkin on Wednesday and nominated White House doctor Ronny Jackson to replace him in the wake of a bruising ethics scandal and a mounting rebellion within the agency.
A Navy rear admiral, Dr. Jackson is a surprise choice to succeed Dr. Shulkin, a former Obama administration official and the first non-veteran to head the VA. Mr. Trump had been considering replacements for Dr. Shulkin for weeks, but had not been known to be considering Dr. Jackson.
In a statement, Mr. Trump praised Dr. Jackson as “highly trained and qualified.” It was a decision that signaled Mr. Trump chose to go with someone he knows and trusts, rather than the candidate with the longest resume, to run a massive agency facing huge bureaucratic challenges.
Dr. Jackson has served since 2013 as the physician to the president, one of the people in closest proximity to Mr. Trump every day.
His profile rose after he conducted a sweeping news conference about the president’s medical exam in January in which he impressed Mr. Trump with his cameraready demeanor and deft navigation of reporters’ questions as he delivered a rosy depiction of the president’s health, according to a person familiar with the president’s thinking but not authorized to discuss private conversations.
Dr. Jackson eagerly embraced the idea of moving to the VA, according to a White House official who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss personnel matters. Ironically, it was Dr. Shulkin who had recommended Dr. Jackson for an undersecretary position at the agency in the fall. Dr. Jackson was vetted during that time on his policy positions and other issues, the official said.
The promotion of Dr. Jackson marks the latest Trump hire to be driven at least as much by personal familiarity with the president as by his vision for the role.
Brig. Gen. Richard Tubb, who trained Dr. Jackson, said in a letter read at Dr. Jackson’s briefing that the doctor had been attached like “Velcro” to Mr. Trump since Inauguration Day.
“On any given day,” he wrote, ‘the ‘ physician’s office,’ as it is known, is generally the first and last to see the President.”
A White House official said Dr. Shulkin was informed of his dismissal by Chief of Staff John Kelly before the president announced the move on Twitter on Wednesday afternoon.
Mr. Trump had considered several others for the post, including conservative “Fox & Friends” contributor Pete Hegseth. The White House was hopeful Dr. Jackson will have a smoother confirmation process because he was chosen for his current position during former President Barack Obama’s administration.
But a major veterans’ organization expressed concern over Dr. Shulkin’s dismissal and Mr. Trump’s intention to nominate Dr. Jackson, whom they worried lacked experience to run the huge department.