John Kelly isn't under consideration for VA secretary, Sarah Sanders says
White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said during the White House press briefing Tuesday that chief of staff John Kelly is not under consideration to be the next head of the Department of Veterans Affairs.
"No, he is not being considered as the VA secretary," Sanders said. "Both the president and the chief of staff are very happy with his position that he currently holds, which is chief of staff to the president at the White House."
The need for a new VA secretary comes after Ronny Jackson, Mr. Trump's first choice to replace ousted former secretary David Shulkin, bowed out last week amid unsubstantiated allegations about his conduct. Sanders said Jackson, who will not continue as the president's physician, is still a U.S. Navy official assigned to the White House. Vice President Mike Pence's doctor, as CBS News has reported, expressed concerns about Jackson as early as last fall.
"He's still an active-duty Navy doctor assigned to the White House," Sanders said.
Kelly's future in the White House has at times been unclear, but the White House continues to insist he is doing well in his position.
Sanders also said the White House has attempted to invite James Shaw Jr., the 29-year-old man who subdued the Waffle House shooter in Tennessee, to honor him at the White House. Some pundits had criticized Mr. Trump for his silence so far on Shaw, who also raised money for the families of the victims.
"My understanding is that there has been an outreach effort," Sanders said.
Sanders referred all inquiries about the questions special counsel Robert Mueller wants to ask Mr. Trump, first reported by the New York Times, to Mr. Trump's personal lawyers.
