Trump nominates acting VA secretary Wilkie for permanent job
Trump spilled the news about Wilkie at a
Trump added, "I'm sorry that I ruined the surprise."
The president had already appeared impressed with Wilkie, saying publicly last month that he's been doing a "great job" at
Wilkie has led the
Wilkie, 55, is a former Pentagon undersecretary for personnel and readiness who oversaw a new policy aimed at stemming harassment in the military after an online nude-photo sharing scandal rocked the
At the
Wilkie's selection reflects Trump's desire to have a steady hand leading the government's second-largest department following the abrupt withdrawal by Jackson, who had never managed a large workforce. The Pentagon is the government's largest department, with more than 700,000 employees.
Veterans groups expressed support for the nomination.
"We're optimistic that we'll be able to work with him and his staff," Augustine said. "He's doing what he needs to do to get up to speed."
"He is somebody who has shown that he can manage the department in a time of immense change," Caldwell said. "He unequivocally supports the president's agenda for reforming the
Sen.
Trump has sought an aggressive expansion of the Choice program to make it easier for veterans to see private doctors outside the
The
Wilkie, an
Wilkie served President
Jackson, Trump's previous nominee, is a career military doctor lacking significant management experience. While he was well-liked, even many
After Jackson withdrew,
Trump had indicated he intended to pick someone with a more political background, hoping such a person would better navigate the turbulent confirmation process in a narrowly divided
This story corrects Wilkie's age to 55, not 56.
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