• Trump's VA choice withdraws in latest Cabinet flame-out,
Jackson foiled by misconduct claims
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump’s White House doctor reluctantly withdrew his nomination to be Veterans Affairs secretary Thursday in the face of accusations of misconduct, the latest episode highlighting Mr. Trump’s struggles to fill key jobs and the perils of his occasional spur-of-themoment decision-making.
The weekslong saga surrounding the nomination of Navy Dr. Ronny Jackson leaves the government’s second-largest agency without a permanent leader while it faces an immediate crisis with its private health care program. And it abruptly tarnished the reputation of a doctor beloved by two presidents and their staffs.
White House officials say they are reviewing the way nominees’ backgrounds are checked — and they believe they will persuade Mr. Trump to take additional time to ensure that a replacement is sufficiently vetted.
The leading person now under consideration for the VA post is former Rep. Jeff Miller, who chaired the House Veterans Affairs Committee before retiring last year, according to White House officials. Mr. Miller is a strong proponent of expanding private care for veterans, a Trump priority.
Mr. Trump quickly selected Dr. Jackson, a rear admiral in the Navy, to head the VA last month after firing Obama appointee David Shulkin following accusations of ethical problems and a mounting rebellion within the agency. Dr. Jackson, a surprise choice who has worked as a White House physician since 2006, faced immediate questions from Republican and Democratic lawmakers as well as veterans groups about whether he had the experience to manage the massive department of 360,000 employees serving 9 million veterans.
Then this week’s allegations by current and former colleagues about drunkenness and improper prescribing of controlled substances, compiled and released by Democrats, made the nomination unsalvageable.
“The allegations against me are completely false and fabricated,” Dr. Jackson said in a statement announcing his withdrawal.
Press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said Dr. Jackson was back at work at the White House on Thursday. But his future there remains uncertain. He had stepped aside from directing Mr. Trump’s medical care and leading the medical unit while his nomination was being considered.
“I would hope the White House would closely consider whether he is the best person to provide medical care for the president,” said Democratic Sen. Chris Coons of Delaware.
Mr. Trump praised Dr. Jackson, saying, “He’s a great man, and he got treated very, very unfairly.” Then the president went after Democratic Sen. Jon Tester of Montana, who released a list of allegations compiled by the Democratic staff of the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee.
Trump aides said the president was furious with Mr. Tester, who faces a tough reelection fight this fall, and plans to aggressively campaign against him.
“I think Jon Tester has to have a big price to pay in Montana,” Mr. Trump warned on “Fox & Friends.”
Mr. Tester, meanwhile, called on Congress to continue its investigation of Dr. Jackson. “I want to thank the service members who bravely spoke out over the past week. It is my constitutional responsibility to make sure the veterans of this nation get a strong, thoroughly vetted leader who will fight for them,” he said.
The turmoil comes as the VA faces a budget shortfall for its private-sector Veterans Choice program, a campaign priority of Mr. Trump’s, with lawmakers deadlocked over a long-term fix due to disagreements over cost and how much access veterans should have to private doctors.
Veterans are “exhausted by the unnecessary and seemingly never-ending drama,” said Paul Rieckhoff, executive director of Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America. “VA’s reputation is damaged, staff is demoralized, momentum is stalled and the future is shockingly unclear.”