However, McDonald has emerged as a candidate to become president of the University of Cincinnati, according to the Cincinnati Enquirer.
President Barack Obama recruited McDonald in 2014 to overhaul the troubled VA, which was plagued by reports of lengthy waits for care for the nation's veterans.
The issue of treatment for veterans became a centerpiece of Trump’s presidential campaign, and in a speech last summer Trump said he would name a new secretary who would make it his or hers “personal mission to clean up the VA.”
“This will be a person of great competence,” Trump said. “This will not be a political hack.”
Should Trump replace McDonald, his cabinet would not have anyone from Ohio. McDonald is just the fourth Ohio official since 1965 to serve in a presidential cabinet.
Former Ohio Attorney General Richard Cordray is currently director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, but that is a non-cabinet-level post.
About the Author