President Donald Trump on Wednesday announced his intention to replace Secretary of Veterans Affairs David Shulkin with Rear Adm. Ronny Jackson, now the physician to the president. Trump also announced that Robert Wilkie, the undersecretary of defense for personnel and readiness, would serve as interim VA secretary, pending Jackson's confirmation. The president tweeted that he was "thankful for Dr. David Shulkin's service to our country and to our GREAT VETERANS!" Jackson has served as the physician to the president since 2013 and gained a national profile earlier this year for holding a sweeping press conference on Trump's health. The selection of Wilkie bypasses VA Deputy Secretary Tom Bowman, who has come under criticism for being too moderate to push Trump's agenda of fixing veterans' care.

Source: Fox News March 28, 2018 21:39 UTC