Shulkin tried to bring wife to Invictus Games to meet Prince Harry: report

Veterans Affairs chief David Shulkin reportedly argued with White House aides because he wanted his wife to get to meet Prince Harry during a trip to the Invictus Games, The Washington Post reported Thursday night.

Shulkin traveled to the games in Canada in September with first lady Melania Trump and her aides. He fought for his wife to join him on the trip, because he was eager for her to meet Prince Harry, who founded the games, the Post reported.

The first lady’s office reportedly told him there was not room on the plane, the Post reported.

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Shulkin told the newspaper in a statement that the allegations are “untrue.” 

“I was honored to attend the Invictus Games with the first lady and understood fully when I was told that there wasn’t any more room for guests to attend,” he said.

Multiple reports in recent days have indicated President Trump may be ready to fire Shulkin.

Shulkin has been under intense scrutiny in recent weeks following an internal report that found he spent most of a taxpayer-funded trip to Europe sightseeing, had the government cover the cost of his wife’s airfare and improperly accepted a gift of Wimbledon tickets.

He has also gone on record to say he’s rooting out “subversion” in his own department, where he claims other staffers are attempting to undermine him.

The department itself has faced its share of problems. An inspector general report released Tuesday found the agency incorrectly reported wait times experienced by veterans seeking first-time care from the agency’s doctors, and a recent series of USA Today stories shed light on problematic hiring practices within the department.