President Trump is considering replacing Veterans Affairs Secretary David Shulkin with U.S. Army Veteran and Fox News contributor Pete Hegseth, Townhall reports.
It has been widely reported President Trump called Hegseth on Monday during a meeting with Shulkin in the Oval Office to go over options for reform. According to Axios, Trump specifically asked Hegseth to analyze new VA legislation while Shulkin listened in on speaker phone. […]
Hegseth was an original contender to lead the agency during the Trump transition into the White House and worked for years as the President of Concerned Veterans for America on VA reform. At the time, he was backed by a number of VA whistleblowers for the position. Hegseth has been deployed overseas three times and served in Guantanamo Bay. He is an Iraq and Afghanistan veteran with two Bronze Stars. He is currently the weekend host for Fox and Friends and a senior analyst for Fox News.
The report comes amid talk about a ‘bloodbath’ coming to the White House. Fox News‘ John Roberts reports McMaster, along with Veterans Affairs Secretary David Shulkin and Chief of Staff John Kelly could be soon leaving the administration.
Fox News reports:
The potential changes — described by sources as a “bloodbath” — include the departure of National Security Adviser H.R. McMaster and his replacement by John Bolton, a former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations.
Other departures from the administration would include Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary David Shulkin and Chief of Staff John Kelly. […]
Kelly would be replaced as chief of staff by Office of Management and Budget Director Mick Mulvaney, the sources said, with Energy Secretary Rick Perry replacing Shulkin at the VA. Ray Washburne, the chairman of the Overseas Private Investment Corporation, would replace Perry as energy secretary.
“I’ve gotten to know a lot of people very well over the last year,” President Trump told reporters at the White House this week
“I’m really at a point where we’re getting very close to having the Cabinet and other things that I want,” Trump added.
