Former Rep. Doug Collins of Georgia, a key defender of President-elect Donald Trump throughout his first impeachment proceedings, has been nominated to be the Secretary for Veterans Affairs.
“Doug is a Veteran himself, who presently serves our Nation as a Chaplain in the US Air Power Reserve Command, and fought for our Nation within the Iraq Struggle,” Trump stated in a press release Thursday saying the choose. “We should deal with our courageous women and men in uniform, and Doug might be an ideal advocate for our Lively Responsibility Servicemembers, Veterans, and Army Households to make sure they’ve the help they want. Thanks, Doug, in your willingness to serve our Nation on this essential function!”
With the choice, Trump has now elevated 4 of the eight Republicans who defended him throughout the first impeachment continuing towards him for outstanding roles within the incoming administration.
Former Rep. Lee Zeldin has been tapped because the proposed head of the Environmental Safety Company. Former Rep. John Ratcliffe has been named Trump’s choose for CIA director and Rep. Elise Stefanik might be nominated because the United Nations Ambassador.
Collins is a chaplain within the Air Power Reserve Command who served within the Home from 2013 to 2021. He unsuccessfully lobbied Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp to call him to the Senate emptiness that opened up in 2019 after then-Sen. Johnny Isaskon stepped down attributable to well being issues. He completed third in a particular election main in 2020 behind Kemp’s eventual choose, Sen. Kelly Loeffler, and Democratic Sen. Raphael Warnock, who in the end prevailed in a Jan. 2021 runoff.
Collins’ choice follows Trump’s announcement on Tuesday that he was nominating Fox Information host Pete Hegseth to serve as secretary of defense.