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President Donald Trump surprised reporters attending his White House presser with French President Emmanuel Macron when he revealed that he has advised his VA Secretary pick to pull his name after his hearing was postponed late Monday over allegations of misconduct.
Wednesdays hearing got scrubbed to give the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee time to look into allegations White House physician Dr. Ronny L. Jackson oversaw a hostile work environment, overlooked the over-prescribing of drugs and drank too much on the job, news outlets spent the morning reporting.
“I told Admiral Jackson a little while ago, What do you need this for?'” Trump said. “This is a vicious group of people that malign you.”
Turning his anger on the press in the room, Trump scolded, “You people are getting record ratings because of it. … Hes an admiral and a leader. They question him about every little thing,” Trump continued to complain, noting Jackson had been the Obamas physician as well.
Trump blamed “obstructionist” Democrats who, after failing to block nomination of his Secretary of State choice Mike Pompeo earlier this week, looked around and said “whos next?” — pouncing on Jackson.
POTUS dismissed concerns Jackson lacks management experience vital to run the governments second largest operation, insisting, “You could run the biggest hospital system in the world and it would be small time compared to the VA, so nobody has the experience!”
But, Trump said, he did not want to “put a man through this who is not a political person, a tough process like this. Its too ugly, too disgusting.”
“Hes a fine man. … Id love to have him,” Trump said. “In many ways, Id love to be him. I wouldnt do it.”
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