(MEDIAITE) In an appearance on CNN’s The Lead with Jake Tapper, White House Chief of Staff Dennis McDonough defended the record of Veterans’ Affairs Sec. Eric Shinseki in his post amid a scandal involving fabricated waiting times leading to the death of military veterans. McDonough asserted that both Shinseki and President Barack Obama are outraged over the latest scandal involving the VA, even though this is not the first accusation of fatal negligence at that department.
When Tapper asked “how on earth” the president can continue to have confidence in his VA secretary, McDonough replied by noting that he has “the scars” to show just how angry Obama is over this episode.
McDonough defended Shinseki’s record in his post, however, and noted that he has overseen the expansion of medical services to more veterans while serving in his role. “Rick is going to get to the bottom of this,” McDonough said. “The president is demanding that, and that’s what we’ll do.”
