WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump said Friday that he is nominating Robert Wilkie to lead the Department of Veterans Affairs.

The president announced the nomination during remarks at a White House prison reform summit, noting that he may have "ruined the surprise" for Wilkie, who was in attendance.

"I'll be informing him in a little while — he doesn't know this yet — that we're going to be putting his name up for nomination to be secretary of the Veterans Administration," Trump said.

The president added that Wilkie has done "an incredible job" in an acting capacity.