President Trump parted ways with Veterans Affairs Secretary David J. Shulkin on Wednesday and later tweeted that he was nominating White House physician Ronny L. Jackson to the spot. Many mainstream media websites have been blasting the move because Jackson is currently Trump’s personal physician and had previously given the president an excellent bill of health. However, it’s important to remember that Jackson is also an active-duty rear admiral and had served under both the Obama and Bush administrations.
As a rear admiral, Jackson is certainly familiar with the military, and as the White House’s personal physician, few will doubt his medical prowess. Regardless, the Veterans Affairs position is more of a public administration and healthcare management role. It’s fair to question if Jackson’s experience, as considerable as it is, will have him fully prepared for the job.
“I also believe that maintaining a strong V.A. is an essential piece of the puzzle that is the United States’ national security system: We can only expect our sons and daughters to risk their lives and fight for our freedom if we can keep our promise to care for them when they return home broken, injured or traumatized,” said Mr. Shulkin.
As for Shulkin, the dismissal brings to an end a short but mostly well-received career at the VA. Shulkin joined in 2015 as undersecretary. When Trump first swept into office, he lauded Shulkin’s abilities and promoted him from undersecretary of veterans affairs to the top spot.
Shulkin did come under fire for sightseeing while in Europe for official government business. The Washington Post reported back in September 2017 that the Secretary spent roughly half of his trip with his wife sightseeing and shopping. Shulkin claims that he did nothing inappropriate and that he conducted his personal business on his own time and with his personal money.
However, this past February the inspector general found that Shulkin and his chief of staff, Michael J. Missal, had lied to ethics officials and that Missal even altered emails. Shulkin also apparently accepted gift tickets to Wimbledon. Several other of Trump’s leading administration officials have likewise been accused of misusing and abusing government travel privileges.
Shulkin Claims Firing Was Political
“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 said.
In an op-ed posted in the New York Times, Shulkin claimed that he was fired for refusing to go along with the president’s efforts to privatize much of the Veterans Affairs department. He claimed that he was an obstacle for those efforts and noted that there was a power struggle.
Shulkin argued that the private healthcare sector is already struggling to provide adequate and affordable care to the public, and argued that it was ill-prepared to handle veterans. Moreover, veterans have special needs that the private sector simply lacks experience in. Shulkin further warned of the dismantling of the VA’s extensive healthcare system.
“I have fought to stand up for this great department and all that it embodies. In recent months, though, the environment in Washington has turned so toxic, chaotic, disrespectful and subversive that it became impossible for me to accomplish the important work that our veterans need and deserve.” -Shulkin
Jackson Well-Known for Lauding President Trump
Many critics have questioned President Trump’s physical and mental health. Given that the president himself frequently lambasted his opponent’s health on the campaign trail (Hillary Clinton) such questions shouldn’t come as a surprise. Dr. Jackson first jumped into the media spotlight this past January by lauding the president’s physical and mental health.
Specifically, Dr. Jackson said: “Some people have just great genes. I told the president that if he had a healthier diet over the last 20 years, he might live to be 200 years old…But I would say the answer to your question is he has incredibly good genes and it’s just the way God made him.”
The president has been accused of hiring people who flatter him or otherwise who he personally knows. Whether true or not, Jackson’s elevation is likely to draw skepticism. Regardless, it seems unlikely that the Senate will try to slow down the approval of such a vital position, and given Jackson’s previous service under Obama, he should get some cross-aisle support.
Either way, the move is a big gamble. It may pay off in a tremendous way by injecting new blood into the VA and allowing a military leader to care for veterans. However, if privatization moves forward or Jackson proves not to be up to the task, veterans could be put at risk.
