Donald Trump replacing veterans affairs secretary with his personal physician

U.S. President Donald Trump announced Wednesday that he has nominated his personal physician to be the new Veterans Affairs Secretary.

Admiral Ronny L. Jackson is set to replace David Shulkin who was fired less than 72 hours after a presidential spokesman had stated that Trump still had faith in him.

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Jackson has served since 2013 as the Physician to the President, and gained a national profile earlier this year for holding a sweeping press conference on the president’s health.

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Trump made the announcement on Twitter, stating: “I am pleased to announce that I intend to nominate highly respected Admiral Ronny L. Jackson, MD, as the new Secretary of Veterans Affairs.”

He went on to thank Shulkin for his service.

On Monday, White House spokesperson Hogan Gidley looked to dismiss reports that the embattled Shulkin was on his way out.

“At this point in time, though he does have confidence in Dr. Shulkin,” Gidley said. “But as you know, the president wants to put the right people in the right place at the right time and that could change.”

The news that Trump was replacing Shulkin did not come as a surprise as it has been reported that Shulkin would be replaced.

Shulkin is the second cabinet secretary to depart over controversies involving expensive travel, following former Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price’s resignation last September.

He had agreed to reimburse the government more than $4,000 after the VA’s internal watchdog concluded last month that he had improperly accepted Wimbledon tennis tickets and that his then-chief of staff had doctored emails to justify his wife travelling to Europe with him at taxpayer expense.

Shulkin also blamed internal drama at the agency on a half-dozen or so political appointees who were rebelling against him and VA Deputy Secretary Tom Bowman, insisting he had White House backing to fire them.

Shulkin joins a long list of staff in the Trump administration who have recently left their positions — either through resignations or being fired.

*With files from Associated Press