Pictured is Ronny L. Jackson, M.D.
David Shulkin was removed from his position Wednesday as secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), the U.S. government’s second largest department. Shulkin came under heavy scrutiny after the Office of Inspector General found he had improperly accepted Wimbledon tickets and his staff had altered emails to justify Shulkin’s wife traveling to Europe with him at taxpayer expense.
President Trump tweeted that he would be nominating Ronny L. Jackson, M.D. to be the new VA secretary. Jackson is an admiral in the U.S. Navy and practiced medicine as part of the American military effort in Iraq before President George W. Bush brought him to the White House. He became the top White House doctor under President Obama in 2013.
Concerns have been raised related to Jackson’s lack of management and administrative experience in working with complex structures, especially in light of the myriad of ongoing challenges facing the VA.
Robert Wilkie, Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness for the U.S. Department of Defense, will serve as the interim secretary of the VA.
