VA secretary Shulkin attends Del. summit amid speculation

A member of President Donald Trump's cabinet stopped in Delaware on Monday.

US Secretary of Veterans Affairs David Shulkin attended Senator Tom Carper's veterans summit in Wilmington.

However, a spokesperson for Carper's office says he will not attend the media availability scheduled for after the summit as he needs to go right back to Washington, D.C.

There is an overcast on Shulkin's fortunes, with speculation mounting that he will be the next member of the administration to go.

Shulkin has been under fire for lavish travel on the taxpayer dime.

He has deep roots in Philadelphia, having received his medical degree from the former Medical College of Philadelphia, and working at Drexel, Temple and Penn Health.

Two officials tell the Associated Press an announcement on Shulkin could happen this week, subject to Trump's final decision as the White House hones in on possible replacements to head the Department of Veterans Affairs. One of the officials rated Shulkin's chances of being pushed out in the next day or two at "50-50." The officials demanded anonymity to discuss a sensitive personnel matter.

Trump, who spent the weekend at his Mar-a-Lago estate, told associates that he would keep two other administration officials who had been under fire: White House chief of staff John F. Kelly and Housing Secretary Ben Carson.

This story has been corrected to show US Secretary of Veterans Affairs David Shulkin attended Senator Tom Carper's veterans summit. He canceled his appearance at the media availability scheduled for after the summit, not his appearance at the summit itself.

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