Is VA Secretary David Shulkin The Next Cabinet Member To Get The Boot?

By Nathan Guttman March 14, 2018

After the ousting of Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, speculation over which Trump cabinet member is next to go is now shifting to the embattled Secretary of Veterans Affairs, David Shulkin.

Shulkin has been harshly criticized following an internal investigation into his wife’s taxpayer-covered trip to Europe and possible misuse of his personal security detail.

According to several press reports, Shulkin may be close to receiving a Tillerson-style early-morning tweet from the president, telling him that his services are no longer required. The VA secretary is reportedly now seen by the White House as a negative distraction, and Shulkin reportedly received a dressing-down from White House chief of staff John Kelly.

Trump is reportedly eyeing Energy Secretary Rick Perry as a possible replacement for Shulkin. The Associated Press reported that Trump discussed the idea with Perry, but has not presented him with a formal offer.

Shulkin is the only Obama administration official serving on Trump’s cabinet.

Contact Nathan Guttman at guttman@forward.com or on Twitter @nathanguttman

Nathan Guttman, staff writer, was the Forward’s Washington bureau chief. He joined the staff in 2006 after serving for five years as Washington correspondent for the Israeli dailies Haaretz and The Jerusalem Post. In Israel, he was the features editor for Ha’aretz and chief editor of Channel 1 TV evening news. He was born in Canada and grew up in Israel. He is a graduate of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.

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