Dr. Ronny Jackson, Trump’s pick to head the troubled Department of Veteran Affairs, has withdrawn his nomination in a move was announced on Thursday. Dr. Jackson came under fire after a series of controversial allegations ahead of his confirmation hearing. The physician has been accused of being drunk on the job and incorrectly doling out prescription drugs.
Jackson said in a statement that even though he will always be grateful to President Trump for showing trust and confidence in him to head the Department, he saw it fit to withdraw his nomination. Dr. Jackson also said that the accusations are false and fabricated. Jackson added that the allegations had become a distraction for Trump and the issues that he has to address.
Before his nomination for the Department of Veterans Affairs, Dr. Jackson was the official White House doctor. He got the attention of the press when he released the results of Trump’s physical earlier this year. However, his nomination for the VA secretary raised serious allegations of misconduct.
President Trump wasn’t happy with the withdrawal. In a call with Fox News, the President ripped Jackson’s critics saying that he would have done a great job if confirmed. Trump called all the allegations which are part of a dossier by Democratic lawmakers false and fabricated. The President slammed Senator Jon Tester, D-Mont and a senior Democratic lawmaker in the Veterans Affairs Committee at the Senate. Trump also warned that the Senator will have a big price to pay in Montana.
A confirmation hearing for Ronny Jackson had been scheduled to take place on Wednesday. However, the planned meeting was postponed in light of these allegations. The Democrat dossier revealed that after interviewing dozens of current and former colleagues, a number of serious issues were raised. Most of the people interviewed took issue with Jackson’s temperament and overall ethics. They doubted whether Jackson had the ability to lead the Department of Veterans Affairs, the second-largest government agency.
The Democrats also released a summary of all the interviews conducted for the purpose of transparency. In fact, Jon Tester issued a statement late on Thursday thanking the service-members who had come forward with the allegations, urging Congress to investigate the matter even further. Despite the allegations, the White House supported Jackson. In fact, several Trump aides publicly expressed their support for the VA nominee, but it looks like that wasn’t enough.
Reports indicate that Jackson returned to the White House on Thursday after his withdrawal. White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders said that Admiral Jackson is still a doctor in the US Navy and is assigned to the White House. According to an NBC News tally, Ronny Jackson is Trump’s 24th nominee to fail in a Senate confirmation. It’s been indeed hard times for President Trump after failing to pass key legislations despite a GOP majority in both houses.
