David Shulkin on Vindman’s Testimony

CHRISTIANE AMANPOUR: When you see what Vindman, according to his statement anyway he’s saying, how does that resonate with you today?

DAVID SHULKIN, FORMER U.S. SECRETARY OF VETERANS AFFAIRS: Well, the story that I share in my book about what happened to me is extremely similar to what I am saying happened again. It is a repeat pattern of behavior where dedicated career employees, people really trying to serve their government as public servants are being interfered with and seeing things that, frankly, should not happen. And I am so glad that there are so many people willing to speak up and talk about what’s right.

AMANPOUR: Well, why do you think that’s happening now? I mean, you’ve obviously had good deal of time to reflect, to write and now, you are speaking about it. Just before we get into the nitty-gritty of what happened to you, why do you think more and more people are coming out now, whose jobs are on the line and at stake by coming out, they are currently serving?

SHULKIN: I think people are seeing a real risk to our democracy and seeing their trusts be eroded within government and feeling a real duty. People who served in government often have other choices. I came from the private sector myself. But our belief is, is that citizens need to do the right thing to make this government work. And speaking out when they see something wrong, it’s an American value.

AMANPOUR: So, Secretary Shulkin, let me ask you about what happened to you. In your book and in op-eds and the like, you have written about a toxic and chaotic and subversive situation when it comes to outside appointees or inside appointees doing end runs around policy appointees such as yourself. What happened to you who, after all, you were specifically chosen by President Trump even though you started under the VA secretary or in the VA under President Obama?

SHULKIN: Yes. I was one of the very few, the only one in the cabinet who had worked for President Obama and I was confirmed a hundred to zero. And I had hoped that we would continue to keep veterans’ issues and doing better for our country’s veterans apolitical and outside of all the games and then ship it I was watching happening in Washington. But unfortunately, that just wasn’t the case. And a few political appointees in the organization, in the Department of Veterans Affairs thought that the Department of Veterans Affairs should be moving in a different direction, towards privatization and I just wasn’t willing to go along with that. I didn’t think that was the right thing for veterans or what veterans wanted. And so, we had a clash. And ultimately, President Trump ended up changing his mind and said he wanted to go with a different direction for a different secretary.