Veterans Affairs Secretary Doug Collins on Newsmax on Friday had a warning for Democrats and journalists who might be inclined to spread false information about his department: I will push back if you "start scaring my veterans."
"When you start attacking what many in the liberal legacy media, the folks who have issues with government jobs, where they're making their living basically on it, when you have unions, you have others, you also have members of Congress who have no way to fight back against what [President] Donald Trump is bringing to D.C., and that is generational change, then what do you do? You just start making stuff up," Collins said Friday on Newsmax's "Wake Up America."
"The sad part about this is, is we're dealing with people's lives, we're dealing with people's fears, we're dealing with people's hopes," he said. "And, here at the VA, I take that very seriously, not only for the employees here, but also the ones that we serve, and that's the veterans. So, if you start scaring my veterans, you start scaring my employees with fake information, false news, innuendo and rumor, then you're going to find that I'm going to be on the other end calling you out for it."
During a recent interview, Collins took a reporter to task about scaring his employees and veterans with rumors that are being reported as fact. Reports have also circulated that cuts being recommended by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) are hurting the nation's military heroes trying to access VA care.
"Up here inside this little 10-mile area, it's the press' happy clappy club," he said. "They just all love each other and they just basically talk about what they want to talk about and praise each other for scoops and dishes and everything else. The problem is, though, is outside this Beltway, people are concerned. People are fearful, even employees of the VA, employees of other agencies as well. But what we've got to do is set the honest truth out there about what we're doing in trying to redirect money and find savings so that we can do better care for our veterans out there."
Collins said the Government Accountability Office has had the VA health system on a "high-risk list" for more than 10 years, which means that it's been identified as "susceptible to fraud, waste, and abuse" and where "medical issues and practices are not as safe as they could be."
"So, it's interesting for those now that have talked about it, who have complained about it, who have used the VA as a kicking bag, now, when somebody like myself or others are trying to put out real solutions that we think will help, now they say they don't want anything to change," he said. "That's just not going to happen."
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Nicole Weatherholtz ✉
Nicole Weatherholtz, a Newsmax general assignment reporter covers news, politics, and culture. She is a National Newspaper Association award-winning journalist.
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