Trump opens door for Jackson to pull out as nominee for veterans job
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday left open the possibility that his doctor, Ronny Jackson, would withdraw as his pick to lead the Veterans Affairs department after allegations stalled his Senate confirmation hearing.
The Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs postponed the hearing, which had been set for Wednesday, as it looked into allegations that Jackson had overseen a hostile work environment as White House physician and allowed the overprescribing of drugs. The allegations were first reported by the New York Times.
The Jackson episode is the latest in a series of White House personnel controversies that have resulted in a higher-than-usual turnover.
Trump said he had not heard details about the allegations against Jackson but said it was up to the Navy rear admiral, who has worked as a presidential physician since the George W. Bush administration, about whether to continue as the nominee.
“I don’t want to put a man ... who’s not a political person ... through a process like this. It’s too ugly and too disgusting. So, we’ll see what happens,” Trump said at a news conference with French President Emmanuel Macron.
“It’s totally his decision, but he’ll be making a decision,” said Trump. He said he stood behind Jackson though he acknowledged he had an “experience problem.”
Jackson’s qualifications to lead the sprawling Veterans Affairs department were questioned from the time Trump nominated him in late March.
The agency, which has 350,000 employees and runs 1,700 facilities that serve more than 9 million veterans a year, has long faced criticism for the quality of its care and the bureaucracy that veterans encounter. In total, it oversees healthcare and benefits for about 20 million military veterans.
It has been led by an acting secretary since late March. Trump fired former VA Secretary David Shulkin after concerns about unauthorized travel expenses.
Related Coverage Trump says veterans pick must decide whether to move forward
MAKING THE ROUNDS
Trump’s comments came as Jackson continued to hold meetings with senators on Capitol Hill on Tuesday.
When told that Trump had said Jackson would be “making a decision” about what to do, Senator John Thune - a member of Republican leadership - said: “That’s not exactly a real high vote of confidence.”
Jackson gave no immediate signal about his next step. “I can answer the questions. I’m looking forward to rescheduling the hearing and answering everyone’s questions,” Jackson told reporters after meeting with Republican Senator Jerry Moran.
Moran told reporters he had a “solid conversation” with Jackson who denied having done anything wrong.
Jackson, 50, is an Iraq war veteran trained in emergency medicine who has been well liked by both Democratic and Republican staff in the White House.
His role took on a higher profile after he gave a long and glowing news conference about Trump’s health in January after his first presidential medical exam.
The Senate panel’s chairman, Republican Senator Johnny Isakson, would not comment on the allegations against Jackson, other than to say: “I’ve got a job as chairman to make sure he’s vetted, and I’m going to do that.”
Senator Sherrod Brown, a Democratic member of the panel, said the allegations had been made by “double digit numbers” of military people and former military people, though he declined to repeat them saying they were not substantiated.
FILE PHOTO: U.S. President Donald Trump's nominee to be U.S. Secretary of Veterans Affairs, Navy Rear Adm. Ronny Jackson, meets with Senator Jon Tester (D-MT) at his office on Capitol Hill in Washington, U.S., April 17, 2018. REUTERS/Joshua Roberts
The Senate’s calendar might not work in Jackson’s favor. There appeared to be little chance the committee would hold a confirmation hearing this week. On Saturday, Congress begins a nine-day recess, which is a long time for any embattled presidential nominee to be in limbo.