Fired VA secretary - “I am struck by a recurring thought: It should not be this hard to serve your country.”

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WASHINGTON — Former Veterans Affairs Secretary David Shulkin is blaming his sudden ouster from the Trump administration on “political forces” that he says are bent on privatizing the agency and putting “companies with profits” over the care of veterans.

Shulkin, the lone Obama administration holdover serving in President Donald Trump’s Cabinet, blasted a “toxic” and “subversive” environment in Washington that made it impossible for him to lead. In a tweet late Wednesday, President Donald Trump fired Shulkin, who faced a mounting internal rebellion at VA and a bruising ethics scandal.

“As I prepare to leave government,” he wrote in a New York Times op-ed Thursday, “I am struck by a recurring thought: It should not be this hard to serve your country.”

Shulkin said he was undone by advocates of privatization within the administration.

“They saw me as an obstacle to privatization who had to be removed,” he said. “That is because I am convinced that privatization is a political issue aimed at rewarding select people and companies with profits, even if it undermines care for veterans.”

White House on Thursday rejected Shulkin’s assertions that it was seeking to privatize the agency.

“This administration has taken several unprecedented steps to transform and modernize the VA, and there are no discussions about privatizing it,” said White House spokesman Raj Shah. “We look forward to continuing our work with Congress to reform and strengththe VA Choice program to provide our veterans with more choice in their health care.”