Former veterans affairs secretary David Shulkin wrote a scathing op-ed on Wednesday calling the environment in Washington “toxic” after U.S. President Donald Trump announced he was being replaced.
In an op-ed for The New York Times, Shulkin said in recent months Washington has “turned so toxic, chaotic, disrespectful and subversive that it became impossible for me to accomplish the important work that our veterans need and deserve.”
The piece came hours after Trump announced on Twitter that he would replace Shukin with White House doctor, Ronny Jackson.
In the op-ed, Shulkin said he was “falsely accused of things by people who wanted me out of the way but despite these politically based attacks on me and my family’s character, I am proud of my record and know that I acted with the utmost integrity. Unfortunately, none of that mattered.”
He added, “as I prepare to leave government, I am struck by a recurring thought: It should not be this hard to serve your country.”
WATCH: Trump at war with ousted veterans affairs secretary
Shulkin’s firing is the latest of many departures from the Trump administration.
Over the past month, Trump fired Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and National Security Adviser H.R. McMaster. His top economic adviser Gary Cohn and White House Communications Director Hope Hicks, one of Trump’s most loyal aides, also resigned.
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