Donald Trump’s nomination of Dr. Ronny Jackson is on life support

| 3:15 pm EDT April 24, 2018
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The Washington Post has broken the news that the nomination of Rear Admiral Ronny Jackson for Secretary of Veteran Affairs has been placed on life support following various allegations and concerns on both sides of the aisle in the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee. Jackson’s Wednesday hearing has been postponed.

The allegations reportedly have to do with excessive drinking, improper dispensing of meds, and a hostile work environment. Recall that Jackson was the president’s physician who reported in January that Donald Trump was in “excellent” cardiac health and that his cognitive testing went “exceedingly well.” Turns out the health of Jackson’s nomination cannot at present be labeled in such glowing terms.

Trump was reportedly extremely pleased with the way Jackson defended his statements about Trump’s health and fitness and that he withstood the grilling well. Many asserted that this experience convinced Trump to nominate Jackson to replace Secretary David Shulkin.

Concerns previously had been raised about Jackson’s managerial experience and whether his background and experience qualified him to be the Veteran Affairs head. Jackson started at the Naval Medical Center Portsmouth in 1994 as an intern in Transitional Medicine. Jackson then went on to several operational assignments in the Navy, returning to Portsmouth in 2001 to begin his residency. Jackson deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and was in that role in 2006 when he was selected as a White House physician. Since July 25, 2013, he has been the Physician to the President. While nobody questions his military experience or medical skills, his resume does not appear to have significant managerial experience.

Add to that the latest developments concerning some serious questions about his background, and his nomination may be on life support with little chance of being resuscitated by the administration. Yesterday, there were reports that the White House was concerned not only about the lack of managerial experience Jackson has, but also that they were investigating “the legitimacy of complaints made…regarding Jackson’s conduct in the U.S. Navy….” One must question what the administration knew when it tried to rush Jackson’s nomination through and when it nominated him to the rank of rear admiral (upper half) on March 23, 2018. The health of Jackson’s nomination is not “excellent” and this nomination process is not likely to end “exceedingly well” for Jackson.