President Trump on Thursday pledged to take care of the country's veterans, touting his new leadership atop the Veterans Affairs Department.

"I love them, and we wouldn't be here if it weren't for them, and I said we're going to take care of them," Trump told Fox News.

"They have not been taken care of properly, and it was a big thing."

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Trump said Veterans Affairs Secretary David Shulkin is going to do a "fantastic job."

"He has a group of people with him, the enthusiasm is incredible. And you see it already," he said. "The results already have been incredible."

Trump said Shulkin wants to get "good people" at the VA.

"The VA has not done so well," Trump said. "But we have the best people in the world. We're going to take care of them."

The president often pledges to take care of the country's veterans.

He proposed a 6 percent increase for the Department of Veterans Affairs in his federal budget proposal last month.

Late last month, the Trump administration picked John Ullyot to serve as assistant secretary of Veterans Affairs.