Trump nominates acting VA Secretary Robert Wilkie to lead the department in surprise announcement

President Trump announced Friday that he is naming acting Veterans Affairs Secretary Robert Wilkie as his nominee to lead the department.

The surprise nomination caught even Wilkie off guard, as it came in the middle of Trump's speech on prison reform. "He doesn't know this yet," said Trump as he made the announcement, "I'm sorry that I ruined the surprise."

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Summer Meza has worked at The Week since 2018, serving as a staff writer, a news writer and currently the deputy editor. As a proud news generalist, she edits everything from political punditry and science news to personal finance advice and film reviews. Summer has previously written for Newsweek and the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, covering national politics, transportation and the cannabis industry.