It was no surprise on Monday when no less than four questions about the fate of Secretary of Veterans Affairs David Shulkin were posed to White House assistant press secretary Raj Shah.
“I have no personnel announcements to make at this time,” was one of Shah’s standard replies.
While Shah is technically correct, White House sources told Newsmax that the president would replace the embattled Shulkin shortly after Easter, assuming he can get a candidate to take over the Department of Veterans Affairs.
“That is the problem right there,” an activist in veterans’ programs who requested anonymity told me. “The people Trump wants for the job are either not interested or would have trouble getting confirmed.”
A source close to the White House say the president’s first choice is Jake Leinenkugel, a former U.S. Marine captain and senior adviser to Trump on veterans' affairs. Leinenkugel, who has done business with Trump as president of Leinenkugel’s Brewery in Wisconsin, reportedly has a “great” relationship with the president and White House Chief of Staff John Kelly.
But the same source told us that Leinenkugel has made clear he doesn’t want the Cabinet position and, at 65, is anxious to return home to the Badger State.
The favorite in the press to succeed Shulkin is Fox News commentator Pete Hegseth, a decorated veteran of the Iraq War and former head of the advocacy group Vets for Freedom. But Hegseth, 37, is an advocate of all-out privatization of veterans hospitals and would almost certainly face a major confirmation fight if nominated.
Secretary of Energy Rick Perry is almost always on the lists of prospective VA secretaries. But two weeks ago, former Texas Gov. Perry told reporters was not interested in the job and should not be considered a candidate.
It is almost taken for granted that Shulkin, a medical doctor and undersecretary of Veterans Affairs under President Obama, is leaving. A recent report by the VA’s Office of Inspector General concluded that Shulkin and his staff lied to the agency and the public about a trip to Europe on official business when it turned out the secretary and his wife were shopping or sightseeing.
John Gizzi is chief political columnist and White House correspondent for Newsmax. For more of his reports, Go Here Now.
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