President Donald Trump on Friday announced he would tap current acting Veterans Affairs Secretary Robert Wilkie to be the department’s next permanent leader. | Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images Trump taps Wilkie as next Veterans Affairs secretary The selection comes after workplace conduct issues sank the nomination of Ronny Jackson.

President Donald Trump on Friday tapped Robert Wilkie, a veteran GOP aide and acting veterans affairs secretary, as his choice to become the permanent leader of the scandal-plagued agency.

Trump announced Wilkie’s selection ahead of scheduled remarks at a White House prison reform summit, telling the crowd that the nominee-in-waiting didn’t know about the news and quipping that he had “ruined the surprise.”


“I’ll be informing him in a little while, he doesn’t know this yet, that we’re going to be putting his name up for nomination to be secretary of the veterans administration,” the president said at the event, attended by numerous top Trump administration officials, including Vice President Mike Pence, Education Secretary Betsy DeVos, senior adviser Jared Kushner and Wilkie.

Wilkie, who has led the Department of Veterans Affairs in an acting capacity since March and was confirmed by the Senate for a Pentagon post last year, rose up and shook hands with the president after the unexpected announcement. In his remarks, the president praised Wilkie for an "incredible job" steering the VA in recent months. The White House formally announced the president's intent to nominate Wilkie as VA secretary in a statement later on Friday.

As a former adviser to Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) and longtime Republican hand, Wilkie’s path to taking the VA’s permanent helm will likely be smoother than the turbulent bid of Ronny Jackson, the president’s former personal physician. Jackson withdrew from consideration to lead the VA last month amid scandal over his workplace behavior.

Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs Chairman Johnny Isakson (R-Ga.) responded to news of the president's announcement by congratulating the acting agency leader and saying he looked forward to the confirmation process in the chamber.

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“As acting secretary of the VA, I’ve enjoyed my time getting to know Robert Wilkie and working alongside him to advance community care legislation through Congress,” Isakson said. “I congratulate Undersecretary Wilkie on his nomination and look forward to learning more about his long-term views for the VA, including how he plans to implement the VA MISSION Act when it becomes law, as we work through the confirmation process."

Rep. Phil Roe (R-Tenn.), chairman of the House panel on veterans' affairs, told POLITICO in a statement he found Wilkie "to be accessible and knowledgeable since he stepped in after former VA Secretary Shulkin's departure."

"While the Senate is responsible for the confirmation process, I commend President Trump for this selection and believe Acting Secretary Wilkie would be an effective permanent secretary," he said.

Wilkie's announced appointment is the latest leadership development for an agency rocked by high-profile departures and ethics scandals.

Jackson, who served as White House physician under former presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama, as well as Trump, withdrew his bid to lead the VA in April amid a series of allegations that he created a toxic work environment, drunkenly wrecked a car and maintained poor prescription records while serving in the federal government. White House officials later confirmed he would not return to his role at the president's physician.

In March, Trump unveiled on Twitter he was ousting Jackson's predecessor, David Shulkin, amid growing tensions with the White House over a taxpayer-financed trip to Europe last year and after he openly sparred with conservatives in his agency.



John Hoellwarth, communications director for the American Veterans non-partisan advocacy group, nodded to the recent upheaval at the agency in his reaction to Trump's announcement.

"Wilkie is already leading the VA, and the last thing the VA needs is more turnover," he told POLITICO in an email. The organization in its statement said Wilkie would provide "needed stability" for the VA.

The latest staffing shake-up arrives as congressional lawmakers continue to feud over the future of the agency, with Democrats pushing back against what they say are efforts to nudge the VA closer to privatization.

Wilkie's nomination could hit a snag due to his tie to the ongoing probe of Trump’s ties to Russia: He was one of three congressional aides present when the Trump campaign supported the rejection of a tough-on-Russia provision proposed for the GOP’s 2016 platform.

Special counsel Robert Mueller’s team is reportedly examining the platform debate, but Wilkie had not been contacted by Mueller as of last fall.

Arthur Allen contributed to this report.