Washington (CNN) President Donald Trump on Thursday made his first public comments on his decision to oust David Shulkin, the head of the Department of Veterans Affairs, saying that he did so because he "wasn't happy" with the speed of veteran care.

Trump also said he wanted veterans to "have real choice" in their health care.

The President, who announced that he was nominating White House physician Ronny Jackson in a tweet on Thursday, also said that he wanted veterans to have the ability to "run to a private doctor."

"We are going to have real choice. That is why I made some changes, because I wasn't happy with the speed with which our veterans were taken care of," Trump said during a speech in Ohio. "I wasn't happy with it. And we have made a lot of progress."

Veterans groups and lawmakers have expressed concerns that Shulkin's departure will pave the way for a stronger push for government subsidized private care for the roughly 9 million veterans that VA serves.

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