In a special breaking news announcement that interrupted normal television programming, President Obama announced that Veterans Affairs Secretary Eric Shinseki had resigned earlier Friday morning. Obama also announced he would accept Shinseki's resignation.

Obama and Shinseki met at the White House prior to Obama's announcement. Obama received an updated internal review of the problems at the VA. He found that there was problems at more than just a few VA facilities.

"It's totally unacceptable. Our veterans deserve the best," Obama said.

Obama was disappointed that Shiseki had to resign.

"Secretary Shinseki offered me his own resignation -- with considerable regret, I accepted."  

Shinseki told Obama that he did not want to be a distraction as the VA tries to clean up its image and fix problems that surfaced in the reviews.

"I agree," Obama said. "We don't have time for distractions. We need to fix the problem."  

The president continued to get requests from both parties to remove Shinseki. After more reports with bad news surfaced this week, even more requests came in.

Friday, Rep. Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., a former top VA official called for Shinseki's resignation. Shinseki was her former boss.

For now, the criticism of the VA will come to a halt but not forever.

"VA's problems are deadly serious, and whomever the next secretary may be, they will receive no grace period from America's veterans, American taxpayers and Congress," Rep. Jeff Miller, R-Fla., chairman of the House Veterans Affairs Committee, said in a statement.  

Obama has stood by Shinseki in recent weeks as more allegations of long wait times and poor care at VA hospitals surfaced. He said that it was Shinseki's decision to resign, not the president's.

Sloan Gibson, the deputy VA secretary, will be appointed acting VA secretary for now. The administration will seek a permanent replacement.