Veterans Care Left Hanging as Trump Plays Petty Politics with the Role
Donald Trump quietly withdrew the nomination of Ryan Cote for the role of Assistant Secretary of Veteran Affairs for Information and Technology, a critical role in the Department of Veteran Affairs tasked with improving cybersecurity in the VA and consolidating benefits for veterans into a single digital platform.
According to the Federal News Network, sources speculate Trump angrily withdrew the nomination in a petty display of his control over the Republican Party after information surfaced that Cote donated to Sen. Mitch McConnell’s most recent re-election effort.
“Donald Trump is playing politics with a position that plays a crucial behind-the-scenes role in delivering health care, benefits, and services to veterans who’ve served our country and deserve the very best,” said American Bridge 21st Century spokesperson Brandon Weathersby. “Trump is risking delays in care, slow benefit approvals, cybersecurity vulnerabilities, and more just to score petty political points against Senator McConnell. Messing around with the Office of Information and Technology nomination could be a direct hit to the backbone of how the VA serves our veterans. It’s another example of how Trump will turn his back on the very people who served this country to serve himself first.”
The Trump administration has been gutting the Department of Veterans Affairs and hurting the quality of care for former servicemembers:
- The Department of Veterans Affairs announced plans to fire as many as 83,000 employees this year, leaving VA employees worried about the future quality of services and care available for veterans.
- VA crisis line employees were fired in early mass layoffs of federal workers.
- VA facilities faced disruptions as workers were fired from their jobs and remaining staff were forced to do more with less. The worker purge caused confusion, anger, and a disruption of services in states across the country, including Washington, Michigan, Nevada, West Virginia, Connecticut, and Wisconsin.
- The Trump administration cut funding for critical programs for veterans, including suicide prevention hotlines.
Published: Jul 29, 2025