President Trump’s nominee to take over the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) said in a new interview that he has “what it takes” to lead the agency.
“You know, I’m not just an officer in the Navy; I’m an emergency medicine physician in the military. I’ve been confronted on a day-to-day basis with life and death decisions,” Rear Adm. Ronny Jackson, who currently serves as the White House physician, told the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal.
“I think I’ve got what it takes, and you know, I don’t buy into that argument at all.”
Trump announced Jackson as his choice to serve as the new VA secretary late last month in a tweet, in which he also announced the departure of embattled Secretary David Shulkin.{mosads}
“I am pleased to announce that I intend to nominate highly respected Admiral Ronny L. Jackson, MD, as the new Secretary of Veterans Affairs,” Trump wrote on Twitter on March 28.
“In the interim, Hon. Robert Wilkie of [the Department of Defense] will serve as Acting Secretary. I am thankful for Dr. David Shulkin’s service to our country and to our GREAT VETERANS!”
Shulkin later claimed he did not resign from the position, though the White House maintains he stepped down from his post.
Senators have said they look forward to hearing from Jackson as he goes through the confirmation process.
Jackson told the Texas newspaper that veterans deserve “the absolute best care that’s available out there.”
“I just want to make sure that we do our part as a country and we let them know that we appreciate that and we take care of them,” he told the Journal.