[View the story "Trump VA nominee Ronny Jackson in talks to withdraw, reports say" on Storify ]Trump VA nominee Ronny Jackson in talks to withdraw, reports say Ronny Jackson, President Donald Trump’s pick to head the Department of Veterans Affairs, “is in active discussions with senior White House officials about withdrawing his name from consideration for the cabinet post,” NBC News reports. Storified by CMGNationalNews · Fri, May 04 2018 12:08:35
Trump responds to Ronny Jackson's withdrawal on Fox & Friends: "You could take the head of the biggest hospital corporation of the world, and it's peanuts compared to the VA. So nobody has experience. You know it's a big monster." https://t.co/vp9Skgai5gAxios
Update Apr 26, 2018 8:10 AM EDT : Trump is reacting to Jackson's withdrawal in an interview on"Fox and Friends."
Trump: “These are false accusations (against VA Sec nominee Ronny Jackson) ... I think @SenatorTester has a big price to pay for this.”Leo Shane III
“The admiral is not a politician, that’s what I liked” says Trump about Ronny Jackson, says next pick for VA will have political experienceCharlie Spiering
Trump says on Fox his next VA nominee: "I think we're gonna have somebody great." Says it will be someone "with political capabilities."Jeremy Diamond
Update Apr 26, 2018 8:02 AM EDT : Jackson released the following statement, according to the Cox Media Group Washington News Bureau:"One of the greatest honors in my life has been to serve this country as a physician both on the battlefield with United States Marines and as proud member of the United States Navy.
NEW: Jackson Statement on Withdrawal https://t.co/lGIDKjbecbFin Gomez
ORIGINAL STORY: Ronny Jackson, President Donald Trump’s pick to head the Department of Veterans Affairs, “is in active discussions with senior White House officials about withdrawing his name from consideration for the cabinet post,” NBC News reports.
The outlet was among several others, including
Reuters and the
New York Daily News , to report the news, citing unnamed sources.
NBC News said Jackson, a rear admiral in the Navy and Trump's physician, "has grown frustrated with the process."
>> Jamie Dupree: Trump pick to head VA in trouble as Senators postpone hearing The developments came after the
New York Times reported that a White House staffer told the Senate Veteran’s Affairs Committee that Jackson gave “a large supply” of the prescription opioid Percocet to a White House military office worker and that Jackson’s staff was “panicked” when it couldn’t account for the missing drugs,
according to The New York Times .
The Times also reported that Jackson wrote himself prescriptions, then asked a physician assistant to give him the medication when he got caught.
Additionally, Jackson has been accused of crashing a government vehicle while intoxicated and banging on the door of a female colleague's hotel room while drunk,
CNN reported .
On Tuesday, top Senators in both parties announced that a Wednesday confirmation hearing Jackson would be "postponed until further notice,"
according to Cox Media Group’s Jamie Dupree .
At the time, Trump told White House reporters that he didn't "want to put a man through a process like this."
"It’s totally his decision,” Trump said,
Dupree reported. “I will tell you, he is one of the finest people that I’ve met.”
White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said Wednesday that Trump
stands behind Jackson .
Breaking overnight: Sources tell @NBCNews White House doctor Ronny Jackson -- President Trump's embattled pick to lead the VA -- is in active discussions about withdrawing his name from consideration after becoming increasingly frustrated by the process. #NBCCTHeidi Voight
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