Trump picks former Georgia congressman for VA secretary

President-elect Trump has announced former Rep. Doug Collins (R-Ga.), a chaplain in the Air Force Reserve, as his pick for the next Secretary of Veterans Affairs. 

A lawyer by trade and a member of Congress from 2013 to 2021, Collins is a staunch supporter of Trump and was one of his biggest defenders in the House during Democratic-led impeachment hearings against the then-president and attempted to use that stance during an unsuccessful run for Senate in 2020.

Since leaving Washington, D.C., he has served as a legal counsel for Trump, particularly on the MAGA movement’s false claims that the 2020 election was stolen in Georgia due to illegally-cast ballots. 

Collins, 58, joined the Air Force Reserve in 2002 after serving for two years as a Navy chaplain in the mid-1990s. He later deployed to Iraq in 2008 as part of the 94th Air Wing at Dobbins Air Reserve Base in Marietta, Ga. 

In a statement announcing his intent to nominate Collins as VA Secretary, Trump said he will “be a great advocate” for current and former service members.

“Doug is a Veteran himself, who currently serves our Nation as a Chaplain in the United States Air Force Reserve Command, and fought for our Country in the Iraq War,” Trump said. “We must take care of our brave men and women in uniform, and Doug will be a great advocate for our Active Duty Servicemembers, Veterans, and Military Families to ensure they have the support they need.”