President-elect Donald Trump said Thursday he would nominate Doug Collins, a former member of the Georgia House of Representatives, to lead his administration’s Department of Veterans Affairs.

Collins, a Iraq War Veteran who left Congress in 2021, was a fierce defender of Trump during his 2019 impeachment inquiry.

“Doug is a veteran himself, currently serving our nation as a chaplain in the United States Air Force Reserve Command and who fought for our country in the Iraq War “Trump said in a statement. statement THURSDAY. “We must take care of our brave men and women in uniform, and Doug will be a great advocate for our active duty military, veterans and military families to ensure they receive the support they need.”

Collins, an Air Force reservist since 2002 and was deployed to Iraq in 2008 while stationed at Balad Air Base, said he was honored to accept the appointment and was committed to providing the best care to veterans.

“Our heroes deserve the best care and support,” he said. written the. “We will fight tirelessly to streamline and reduce regulations within the VA, root out corruption, and ensure that every veteran receives the benefits they have earned.”

The Cabinet position requires Senate confirmation.

Collins, 58, was first elected to the House in 2012. He served until 2021, after an unsuccessful run for the Senate the previous year.

He currently chairs his state’s chapter of the America First Policy Institute, a conservative think tank made up of former Trump administration officials. launched in 2021.

Collins was a strong supporter of Trump during his first indictment investigation, in 2019, when he was the top Republican on the House Judiciary Committee. The Democratic-led House impeached Trump, but the Republican majority in the Senate acquitted him.

After Trump lost the 2020 election, Collins appeared on Fox News and sowed doubt about what he called “irregularities” in Georgia’s results. More recently, he has criticized the federal prosecution of Trump, calling special prosecutor Jack Smith’s indictments of Trump in a Sept. 20 investigation “quibbles.” episode of his podcast “The Doug Collins Show.”

Trump has expressed support for Collins in the past, having made it float as a potential challenger to Georgia Governor Brian Kemp in 2022. Collins ultimately decided not to run for governor or seek a Senate seat in the midterms.

Trump was criticized for comments first reported by The Atlantic in 2020 that he disparaged fallen service members. “losers” and “suckers”. Trump’s former White House chief of staff, John Kelly, later confirmed The Atlantic’s reports.

Kelly told the New York Times in interviews published last month that Trump “could never understand why people would serve the country in uniform” and struggled to understand their selflessness and sacrifice. The Trump campaign has denied Kelly’s claims.

Trump continues to announce your choices within the Cabinet at a rapid pace. Earlier Thursday, he named an anti-vaccine activist and former independent presidential candidate. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as his choice for secretary of health and human services.

On Tuesday, he announced he would nominate the Fox News host and military veteran. Pete Hegseth for the Secretary of Defense.