VA Secretary: ‘I don’t think veterans should be used for political reasons’

Veterans’ issues have been front and center throughout the election cycle, as both candidates try to convince members of the armed services that they are best suited for the role as commander-in-chief.

During a special event Thursday focused on Veterans & Civic Engagement moderated by Jared Rizzi, SiriusXM’s White House correspondent, and the non-partisan group Got Your 6, the conversation deviated from the political landscape and instead highlighted the active role veterans play in their respective communities.

“I only have one purpose, I’m not going to run for office … I have no political agenda,” said Secretary of Veterans Affairs Bob McDonald. “My political agenda is one and that is to take care of my brothers and sisters … so I think my motives are somewhat unassailable.”

“The majority of Americans … view veterans as broken or heroic,” Got Your 6’s Bill Rausch added. “There are some very dangerous narratives. And because we’re a smaller percentage of the population they’re not experiencing a narrative that’s different. And that’s why we exist. To promote veterans as civic assets.”

“I don’t think veterans should be used for political reasons,” McDonald said in response to Rizzi‘s questioning about veterans being used as props on the campaign trail. “That offends me, it offends me deeply.”

“Veterans: America’s Greatest Assets” airs on Friday, Sept. 30, at 2 p.m. ET on SiriusXM P.O.T.U.S. (Ch. 124). The event will re-air on Saturday, Oct. 1, at 1 p.m. ET and 9 p.m. ET.