White House press secretary Jay Carney repeatedly refused to say whether President Obama still has confidence in the Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric Shinseki.
ABC reporter Jonathan Karl repeated the question six times to Carney Thursday afternoon. Each time the White House spokesperson avoided offering a straight answer.
Carney told the White House press corps the president had confidence in Shinseki last week. However, an Inspector General report released yesterday into the Phoenix VA confirmed reports of hidden wait times and revealed 1700 veterans seeking care were not on any wait list, secret or otherwise.
Several holdouts including the House Veterans Affairs Committee Chairman Jeff Miller (R., Fla.) and Sen. John McCain (R., Ariz.) called for Shinseki's resignation yesterday after reviewing the IG report.