Democrats this week claimed another scalp when Rear Adm. Ronny Jackson withdrew h👍is nomination as secretary of veterans affairs under an avalanche of anonymous allegations from a red-state Democratic senator i✤n a tough re-election fight.
It was a new low in the ongoing e🧸ffort to 𓃲undermine each of President Trump’s cabinet nominees by any means necessary.
Yes, 💦Trump walked into it by nominating Jackson before his staff cღould see what accusations might arise so they could prep a defense. But that doesn’t make it right.
Sen. Jon Tester (D-Mont.) unveiled a stunning laundry list of complaints allegedly made by 🌟unna🌌med whistleblowers —🙈 claims that Jackson was routinely drunk on duty (to the point of being “unresponsive”), created a “toxic work environment” and handed🉐 out prescription opioids like “the candy man.”
And yet no one seemed to notice any of this as Jackson ♕was treating three pres♛idents and their families over a 12-year period.
Inꩵdeed, Jackson routinely got glowing performance reviews from Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama, who repeatedly recommended his promot✅ion.
Yes, a 2012 Navy medical inspector general report cited “unprofessional behavior” by Jackson and a rival the🌃n engaged in a power struggle, which it compared to “parents going through a bitter divorce.”
B📖ut nothing in that report — which was far more critical of his rival — or in any of the four FBI background checks he’s undergone raised even a hint of the appalling conduct that Tester alleged.
Again, this was the man in charge of the personal health of three presidents ꧙from both parties. The incidents were said to have occurred on official trips with Secret Service present. Are we really supp༒osed to believe that no one knew — or cared?
If that’s true, then (as the Wall Street Journal’𝔉s James Freeman noted) America🍷 has a bigger problem than Ronny Jackson.
Sadly, the decorated co♉mbat ꩲvet, inexperienced in DC’s often-treacherous ways, never got the chance to answer his accusers — or even to learn their names.
And because this most vicious character assassination succeeded in t෴aking down Jackson, future nominees will face the same, or even worse.