The executive director of a veterans advocacy group is asking the White House to exercise caution before nominating the next Department of Veterans Affairs secretary on the heels of Dr. Ronny Jackson's withdrawal from consideration.
"The White House should take its time to carefully select and vet a new nominee for VA secretary," Concerned Veterans for America (CVA) executive director Dan Caldwell said. "The VA currently has a competent Acting Secretary in Robert Wilkie who can manage the VA along with the rest of his leadership team while the White House selects a new VA secretary nominee and the Senate goes through the confirmation process."
President Donald Trump tapped Jackson to lead the VA after he fired David Shulkin last month. Jackson, however, was accused this week of overprescribing medication, drinking on the job, and crashing a car while drunk. He denied the charges, but withdrew his name from consideration for the VA post Thursday morning.
Caldwell alluded to the recent strife that's occurred at the VA, stemming from several scandals that resulted in veterans dying while waiting to see a doctor and what some critics called poor leadership at the top.
"Considering the tremendous challenges that the last three VA secretaries have faced, it is important that a capable individual with a high level of integrity is selected for this important cabinet position," Caldwell said.
"Additionally, Congress should continue to work on legislation to fix long-standing problems with the VA's healthcare system."
© 2026 Newsmax. All rights reserved.