Veterans Affairs Secretary Doug Collins delivered a textbook example of how to push back against media bias this week, confronting a reporter over an article filled with rumors, hearsay, and shaky sourcing. In a conversation with Military.com reporter Patricia Kime on Tuesday, Collins didn’t just call out the inaccuracies—he literally pulled the article out of his pocket and fact-checked it on the spot.
The subject of the article? Allegations that Elon Musk’s DOGE team had improper access to VA computer systems. But rather than presenting hard evidence, the piece relied on phrases like “rumors began circulating” and “she had heard that”—language that would be more at home in a barbershop gossip session than in a serious news report about military and veteran affairs.
Reporters – Please help our Veterans by NOT spreading unconfirmed rumors, hearsay and innuendo about @DeptVetAffairs. Thank you! pic.twitter.com/rZbMQn5VmY
— VA Secretary Doug Collins (@SecVetAffairs) March 11, 2025
Collins, an Air Force veteran himself, didn’t hold back.
“I need your help because all I seem to be doing lately is fighting back against innuendo and rumor stories. And this is what I seem to be fighting about all the time,” he began. “In fact, Patricia, part of it is with you.”
And then came the challenge:
“When you start headlines with ‘There’s a rumor going around’ and that ‘we’ve heard that,’ that hurts my veterans, that scares my veterans. That scares my employees. Because it’s not true. Will you commit to not doing that in the future?”
Kime tried to push back, but it didn’t go well. At one point, she claimed she had asked about a DOGE liaison at the VA. Later, she contradicted herself, insisting she wasn’t aware the VA had even hired one.
Collins also called out the article’s use of a quote from Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA), who had referenced a press release saying she “had heard that DOGE ‘may have barged into VA today.'” Collins made it clear that reporting unconfirmed hearsay without labeling it as such is reckless journalism.
This is the way to do it. https://t.co/CY2ZUzXbzq
— Lawrence Jones III (@LawrenceBJones3) March 12, 2025
“And then you go to Patty Murray, saying that ‘we’ve heard and DOGE may have barged into the VA today.’ Unconfirmed hearsay,” he said. “You know what I would have done if I were a member of Congress and probably done that? ‘Unconfirmed report.’ But you didn’t put ‘unconfirmed report.'”
Then came the moment of accountability. Collins didn’t let Kime squirm away.
“No, I want to hear the answer first. Are you committing not to do rumors? Because you’re scaring my VA employees about this and you’re scaring my veterans.”
To her credit, Kime finally conceded.
“That’s fair. I will do that,” she vowed.
This wasn’t just about one misleading article. Collins made it clear that misinformation has real consequences, particularly when it comes to America’s veterans. The VA has been under intense scrutiny as the Trump administration cracks down on waste and mismanagement in the agency. Just this month, the department redirected $900 million in savings back to healthcare, benefits, and services for veterans by eliminating wasteful and duplicative contracts.
“Under President Trump, VA is focused on becoming more efficient, responsive and accountable to the Veterans, family members, caregivers and survivors we are charged with serving,” Collins said in a statement. “Every dollar we spend on wasteful or duplicative contracts is one less dollar we can spend on Veterans, and given that choice, I will always side with the Veteran.”
