Former Veterans Affairs Secretary Robert Wilkie will lead Defense Department transition efforts for President-elect Donald Trump’s incoming administration, according to sources close to the operations.
In addition to the top post at VA, Wilkie also served as the Pentagon’s top personnel official during the first Trump administration.
In a statement released Wednesday, Trump transition team co-chairs Linda McMahon and Howard Lutnick said the focus of the various handover efforts will be “selecting personnel to serve our nation under [Trump’s] leadership and to enact policies that make the life of Americans affordable, safe, and secure.”
Wilkie’s role was first reported by Politico.
Wilkie served from July 2018 to January 2021 as the most senior official at VA, replacing Trump’s first secretary for the department, Dr. David Shulkin. He also served as acting secretary for two months prior to his Senate confirmation.
As secretary, he oversaw the initial stages of the department’s electronic health records overhaul and the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic within the VA health care system.
Wilkie courted controversy late in his term after a VA inspector general report criticized his mishandling of a sexual assault allegation against a veteran visiting the Washington, D.C., VA Medical Center.
The report detailed how Wilkie directed an investigation into the victim, a Democratic congressional aide, and worked behind the scenes to discredit her. The inspector general labeled his actions “unprofessional” but did not find any criminal wrongdoing.
Still, more than two dozen Democratic members of Congress and 20 veterans groups — including the Veterans of Foreign Wars and American Legion — publicly called for Wilkie’s resignation or firing. Neither happened, and he left office after Trump’s term expired.
Since then, Wilkie has worked as a military and veterans expert at the America First Policy Institute, a conservative think tank launched by former Trump appointees in 2021.
As head of the defense transition efforts, Wilkie will lead Trump’s search for a new defense secretary, as well as other senior civilian leadership posts within the military.
Republicans are expected to hold a majority in the Senate next year, easing the path to confirmation for those picks.
Leo covers Congress, Veterans Affairs and the White House for Military Times. He has covered Washington, D.C. since 2004, focusing on military personnel and veterans policies. His work has earned numerous honors, including a 2009 Polk award, a 2010 National Headliner Award, the IAVA Leadership in Journalism award and the VFW News Media award.
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