Ronny Jackson
Ronny Jackson | |
---|---|
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Texas's 13th district | |
Assumed office January 3, 2021 | |
Preceded by | Mac Thornberry |
1st Chief Medical Advisor to the President | |
In office February 2, 2019 – December 1, 2019 | |
President | Donald Trump |
Preceded by | Position established |
Succeeded by | Anthony Fauci |
Physician to the President | |
In office July 25, 2013 – March 28, 2018 | |
President | Barack Obama Donald Trump |
Preceded by | Jeffrey Kuhlman |
Succeeded by | Sean Conley |
Personal details | |
Born | Ronny Lynn Jackson May 4, 1967 Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal (4) |
Ronny Lynn Jackson (born May 4, 1967) is an American physician, politician, and former United States Navy rear admiral, retroactively retired in the grade of captain. He is the U.S. representative for Texas's 13th congressional district.[4]
Jackson joined the White House Medical Unit in the mid-2000s under George W. Bush, and served as Physician to the President from 2013 to 2018 under Barack Obama and Donald Trump.[5][6]
In March 2018, Trump nominated Jackson to be United States secretary of veterans affairs to succeed David Shulkin,[6][7][8] but Jackson withdrew the following month amid allegations of misconduct and mismanagement during his service in the White House.[9][10][11][12][13][14] On February 2, 2019, Trump appointed Jackson Assistant to the President and Chief Medical Advisor, a new position in the Executive Office.[15]
Jackson retired from the Navy as a
In 2021, an investigation by the Defense Department inspector general found that Jackson had engaged in various inappropriate behaviors as an admiral; the following year, the Navy retroactively demoted him to the rank of captain.
Early life and education
Jackson was born to Waymon and Norma Jackson and raised in
Military career
Jackson became a Navy officer after graduating from medical school in 1995.[21] He graduated from the Undersea Medical Officer Program in 1996.[22] Jackson had a series of operational postings,[22] as officer-in-charge and diving medical officer at Explosive Ordnance Disposal Mobile Unit 8 at the naval base in Sigonella, Sicily, and diving safety officer at the Naval Safety Command in Norfolk, Virginia.[21] In 2001, he started a residency in emergency medicine, which he completed in 2004.[22] He was a clinical faculty physician in the Emergency Medical Residency Program at the Naval Medical Center Portsmouth for an additional year[22] before being deployed to Iraq in 2005, where he worked as emergency medicine physician with a surgical shock trauma platoon in Taqaddum.[21][22]
In June 2006, Jackson became a physician in the White House Medical Unit (WHMU),[22] ultimately working under three presidents.[23] He became WHMU director in May 2010, and in July 2013 was given the additional title of Physician to the President.[22] In December 2014, Jackson's duties as WHMU director ended, but he continued to be Physician to the President.[22] In January 2017, Jackson made headlines after treating a girl who was bitten by Sunny, one of the Obamas' dogs.[24][25]
After
Jackson held the Navy rank of
In July 2022, the Navy demoted Jackson from rear admiral (lower half) to captain for actions "not in keeping with the standards the Navy requires of its leaders",
Nomination as Secretary of Veterans Affairs
On March 28, 2018, Trump announced that he planned to nominate Jackson to succeed David Shulkin as Secretary of Veterans Affairs.[6][37][38] Some senators expressed skepticism of the nomination due to Jackson's lack of management experience.[6][39] Others noted the allegations about Jackson's conduct, which the administration disputed.[40]
On April 23, 2018, the
Meanwhile, CNN reported that during an overseas trip in 2015, an intoxicated Jackson loudly knocked on a female employee's hotel room door so noisily that the Secret Service stopped him to prevent him from waking Obama. Secret Service officials said they had no record of such an incident.[46][47]
Jackson withdrew from consideration for Secretary of Veterans Affairs on April 26, 2018, after the Senate Committee on Veterans Affairs began formally investigating the allegations.[48][49] Senator Johnny Isakson, the Republican chairman of the Veterans Affairs Committee, defended Tester's grilling, saying he had no problem with Tester's handling of Jackson's nomination.[50]
Jackson insisted that the allegations were "completely false and fabricated" and said he was withdrawing because the controversy had become a distraction for Trump and his agenda.[48] Jackson returned to work in the White House Medical Unit but did not return to his position as Trump's personal physician;[22][51] he was replaced in that position by Navy officer Sean Conley, who had taken over that role a month earlier in acting capacity.[51] The 115th Congress returned his nomination to Trump on January 3, 2019, without it being considered in the Senate Committee on Armed Services.[52]
Inspector General investigation
In May 2018, after receiving 12 complaints about Jackson's conduct, the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General (OIG) opened an investigation. The investigation stalled from October 2018 to August 2019 because the Trump White House Counsel's Office objected to the investigation and considered invoking executive privilege, but ultimately did not.[22][53]
OIG investigators interviewed Jackson and 78 witnesses.[22][54] The OIG noted that its interview of Jackson "was limited in scope and unproductive" because lawyers in the White House Counsel's office insisted upon participating in the interview and "instructed Jackson not to answer any questions concerning events after his appointment as the Physician to the President in July 2013."[22]
In March 2021, the OIG issued its report.
After the report was issued, Jackson said that the allegations were a "political hit job because I stood with President Trump" and that they "resurrected those same false allegations from my years with the Obama Administration because I have refused to turn my back on President Trump."[54][58]
U.S. House of Representatives
Elections
2020
On December 9, 2019, Jackson filed to run for Congress in Texas's 13th congressional district. The seat came open when 13-term incumbent Republican Mac Thornberry announced he would not seek reelection in 2020.[59][60] Jackson finished in second place in the Republican primary–the real contest in this heavily Republican district–behind former Texas Cattle Feeders Association lobbyist Josh Winegarner, and the two faced off in a July 14 runoff election for the nomination.[61][62] Jackson defeated Winegarner, 55.58% to 44.42%.[63] According to The New York Times, Jackson "ran a campaign based on his close relationship with President Trump." He leveraged that relationship to obtain assistance from two top officials with Trump's reelection campaign, Justin Clark and Bill Stepien.[63]
In May 2020, Jackson claimed without evidence that Obama had spied on
Jackson opposes
Jackson won the general election, taking 79.4% of the vote to Democratic nominee Gus Trujillo's 18.5%. Since Thornberry was elected in the 1994 Republican wave, no Democrat has crossed the 40% mark in the district, and only three have managed 30%.
Tenure
Jackson attended the January 6 "
On May 19, 2021, Jackson voted against legislation to establish the formation of a
In late February 2021, Jackson and a dozen other Republican House members skipped votes and enlisted others to vote for them, attributing their absences to ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. However, he and the other members were actually attending the Conservative Political Action Conference, which was held simultaneously with their absences.[71] In response, the Campaign for Accountability, an ethics watchdog group, filed a complaint with the House Committee on Ethics and requested an investigation into those absences by Jackson and the other lawmakers.[72]
Jackson, along with all other Senate and House Republicans, voted against the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021.[73]
In June 2021, Jackson was one of 14 House Republicans to vote against legislation to establish June 19, or Juneteenth, as a federal holiday.[74]
In November 2021, Jackson created a conspiracy theory that Democrats made up the Omicron variant of COVID-19 (he called it "MEV - the Midterm Election Variant") as "a reason to push unsolicited nationwide mail-in ballots" and to "cheat" in the upcoming midterm elections.[75]
In May 2022, the Office of Congressional Ethics reported that there was "substantial reason" to believe that Jackson had used campaign funds for personal use, to pay for unlimited access for himself and his wife to the Amarillo Club, a private dining club in Amarillo, Texas. Jackson refused to cooperate with the Congressional investigation, and his campaign's treasurer and accounting firm refused to provide requested documents to investigators.[76]
In December 2022, Jackson falsely claimed that California Representative Katie Porter had asserted that "pedophilia is not a crime" but "an identity", referring to a deceptively edited video of a congressional hearing.[77]
Jackson endorsed Trump's campaign in the 2024 presidential election.[78]
Jackson was among the 71 Republicans who were joined by 46 Democrats to vote against final passage of the
2023 Texas rodeo incident
In July 2023, Jackson was briefly detained by law enforcement in White Deer, Texas, during a rodeo.[80] Video of the incident provided by the Texas Department of Public Safety showed that Jackson tried to help a teenager suffering from a seizure. After a trooper requested that he step back to allow paramedics to help her, Jackson confronted the trooper, pushed past officers who positioned themselves between him and the trooper, and was subdued and handcuffed.[81][82] Rising, Jackson shouted, "You are a fucking full-on dick!" "You better recalculate, motherfucker!" "I'm gonna call the governor tomorrow and I'm gonna talk to him about this shit because this is fuckin' ridiculous."[80][81] Jackson later spoke to Carson County Sheriff Tam Terry, who reported that Jackson demanded that the deputies who handcuffed him be punished and threatened to go after Terry politically.[83][84]
Committee assignments
Caucus memberships
Personal life
Jackson has a wife, Jane, and three children.[18] Jackson is a member of the Churches of Christ.[87]
Awards and decorations
Jackson's decorations, awards, and badges include, among others:[20]
See also
Notes
- ^ Jackson retired as a rear admiral (lower half) in 2019, but his rank was subsequently reduced by the Navy in 2022, after an investigation by the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General substantiated allegations of misconduct against Jackson.[2] Though the demotion was retroactive, it was entered into Jackson's official service record and reduces the amount he is entitled to collect in annual pension payouts.[3]
References
- ^ Bowman, Bridget (November 8, 2019). "Former VA nominee Ronny Jackson eyes run for Congress". Roll Call. Retrieved March 20, 2020.
- ^ Ziezulewicz, Geoff (March 7, 2024). "Lawmaker who claims to be a retired rear admiral was actually demoted to Captain". Navy Times. Retrieved March 7, 2024.
- ^ a b Diamond, Dan; Horton, Alex (March 7, 2024). "Navy demoted Ronny Jackson after probe into White House behavior". The Washington Post.
- ^ Sullivan, Eileen; Shear, Michael D.; Schmitt, Eric (March 8, 2024). "Ronny Jackson, Former White House Physician, Was Demoted by the Navy". The New York Times – via NYTimes.com.
- ^ Scott, Dylan (February 2, 2017). "Trump is keeping Obama's White House doctor for now". STAT. Retrieved January 18, 2018.
- ^ ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved April 25, 2018.
- ^ Ballhaus, Rebecca; Kesling, Ben (March 28, 2018). "Donald Trump Ousts VA Secretary David Shulkin". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved March 28, 2018.
- ^ "PN1847 - Nomination of Ronny Lynn Jackson for Department of Veterans Affairs, 115th Congress (2017-2018)". Congress.gov. Library of Congress. June 20, 2018. Retrieved March 20, 2020.
- ^ Raju, Manu (May 1, 2018). "Pence's doctor alerted WH aides about Ronny Jackson concerns last fall". CNN. Retrieved May 2, 2018.
- ^ Hensley, Nicole (May 1, 2018). "Pence's doctor accused Ronny Jackson of misconduct while treating second lady". Portland Press Herald. Retrieved May 2, 2018.
- ^ Porter, Tom (April 30, 2018). "Ronny Jackson will not return as Trump's physician following drunkenness and misconduct allegations". Newsweek. Retrieved May 2, 2018.
- ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved May 2, 2018.
- ^ Korade, Matt (April 30, 2018). "Ronny Jackson will not return as Trump's physician, Politico reports". CNN. Retrieved May 2, 2018.
- ^ Rhodan, Maya (April 30, 2018). "White House: Ronny Jackson Is Not Leaving His Post". Time. Retrieved May 2, 2018.
- National Archives.
- ^ Starr, Barbara (December 3, 2019). "Trump's former physician retires from Navy". CNN. Retrieved December 10, 2019.
- ^ Shepard, Steven; Arkin, James (July 15, 2020). "Takeaways from Tuesday's primaries". Politico. Retrieved July 15, 2020.
- ^ a b Westbrook, Ray (January 26, 2018). "Presidents consult Rear Adm. Dr. Ronny Jackson, Levelland native". Lubbock Avalanche-Journal. Retrieved April 27, 2018.
- ^ Westbrook, Ray. "Trump physician Dr. Ronny Jackson was once a small-town kid in Levelland". Amarillo Globe-News. Retrieved January 22, 2024.
- ^ a b c Gromelski, Joe (March 29, 2018). "Scandal-wounded Shulkin cites fight over privatization as factor in ouster". Stars and Stripes. Retrieved April 27, 2018.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t "Report of Investigation: Rear Admiral (Lower Half) Ronny Lynn Jackson, M.D. U.S. Navy, Retired (DODIG-2021-057)]" (PDF). Department of Defense Office of Inspector General. March 3, 2021.
- ^ ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved February 26, 2020.
- ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved March 29, 2018.
- The Wrap. Retrieved March 29, 2018.
- ^ Kutner, Max (January 12, 2018). "Who is Trump's doctor, White House physician Ronny Jackson?". Newsweek. Retrieved January 18, 2018.
- ^ a b Samuels, Brett (January 16, 2018). "WH doctor credits 'good genes' for Trump's excellent health despite fast food diet". The Hill. Retrieved May 1, 2018.
- ^ Bieler, Des (January 16, 2018). "Doctor says Trump is 6-3, 239 pounds, and the Internet has so many athlete comparisons". The Washington Post. Retrieved May 1, 2018.
- ^ "PN1465 — Capt. Ronny L. Jackson — Navy". www.congress.gov. July 13, 2016. Retrieved May 12, 2022.
- ^ a b "PN1764 — Rear Adm. (lh) Ronny L. Jackson — Navy". U.S. Congress. January 3, 2019. Retrieved January 16, 2019.
- ^ Merica, Dan (March 23, 2018). "The President's doctor is getting promoted". CNN. Retrieved March 23, 2018.
- ^ "PN30 — Rear Adm. (lh) Ronny L. Jackson — Navy". www.congress.gov. January 3, 2020. Retrieved May 12, 2022.
- ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved March 7, 2024.
- ^ Ziezulewicz, Geoff (March 7, 2024). "Lawmaker who claims to be a retired rear admiral was actually demoted". Navy Times. Retrieved March 7, 2024.
- ^ Liebermann, Oren (March 7, 2024). "Navy demoted Ronny Jackson in 2022 after scathing watchdog report". CNN.
- ^ Sullivan, Eileen; Shear, Michael D.; Schmitt, Eric (March 7, 2024). "Ronny Jackson, Former White House Physician, Was Demoted by the Navy". The New York Times.
- ^ Fandos, Nicholas; Haberman, Maggie (March 28, 2018). "Veterans Affairs Secretary Is Latest to Go as Trump Shakes Up Cabinet". The New York Times. Retrieved March 29, 2018.
- ^ Holland, Steve (March 29, 2018). "Trump pushes out Shulkin at VA, nominates Jackson as replacement". Reuters. Retrieved April 25, 2018.
- ^ Kim, Seung Min (April 1, 2018). "Senate Republicans express concerns about Trump's choice to lead Veterans Affairs". The Washington Post. Retrieved April 26, 2018.
- ^ Khan, Mariam (April 27, 2018). "Secret Service disputes allegation against Rear Adm. Ronny Jackson". ABC News. Retrieved May 2, 2018.
- ^ Kim, Seung Min; Rein, Lisa; Dawsey, Josh (April 23, 2018). "Senate to postpone confirmation hearing for Ronny Jackson to head Veterans Affairs, White House officials told". The Washington Post. Retrieved April 23, 2018.
- ^ a b Fandos, Nicholas; Shear, Michael D. (April 24, 2018). "After Trump Hints V.A. Nominee Might Drop Out, an Aggressive Show of Support". The New York Times. Retrieved April 25, 2018.
- ^ Anapol, Avery (April 28, 2018). "GOP chairman 'does not have a problem' with Tester's handling of Jackson allegations". The Hill. Archived from the original on April 29, 2018. Retrieved April 11, 2024.
- ^ Tatum, Sophie (April 24, 2018). "Sen. Tester: VA nominee handed out prescriptions 'like candy'". CNN. Retrieved April 25, 2018.
- ^ Jacobs, Ben (April 25, 2018). "Ronny Jackson crashed car while drunk and mishandled drugs, document claims". The Guardian.
- ^ Summers, Juana; Raju, Manu (April 25, 2018). "VA nominee drunkenly banged on female employee's door during trip, sources say". CNN. Retrieved April 25, 2018.
- ^ Khan, Mariam (April 27, 2018). "Secret Service disputes allegation against Rear Adm. Ronny Jackson". ABC News. Retrieved April 1, 2021.
- ^ a b Foran, Clare; Summers, Juana; Diamond, Jeremy (April 26, 2018). "Ronny Jackson withdraws as VA secretary nominee". CNN. Retrieved April 26, 2018.
- ^ Holland, Steve; Rampton, Roberta (April 26, 2018). "White House doctor steps back from Trump veterans job after controversy". Reuters. Retrieved April 26, 2018.
- ^ Anapol, Avery (April 28, 2018). "GOP chairman 'does not have a problem' with Tester's handling of Jackson allegations". The Hill. Archived from the original on April 29, 2018. Retrieved April 28, 2018.
- ^ a b Johnson, Eliana (April 29, 2018). "Ronny Jackson won't return to old job as Trump's physician". Politico. Retrieved May 1, 2018.
- ^ "PN1847 - Nomination of Ronny Lynn Jackson for Department of Veterans Affairs, 115th Congress (2017-2018)". www.congress.gov. June 20, 2018. Retrieved May 12, 2022.
- ^ "Read: The Department of Defense inspector general's report on the conduct of Rep. Ronny Jackson". CNN. March 4, 2021.
- ^ a b Watson, Eleanor (March 4, 2021). "Pentagon watchdog says former White House physician bullied staff and drank recklessly on official trips". CBS News. Retrieved March 7, 2024.
- ^ Raju, Manu (March 2, 2021). "Rep. Ronny Jackson made sexual comments, drank alcohol and took Ambien while working as White House physician, Pentagon watchdog finds". CNN. Retrieved March 2, 2021.
- ^ Edmondson, Catie (March 3, 2021). "Watchdog finds G.O.P. congressman harassed staff and recklessly drank while serving as White House physician". The New York Times.
- ^ Chapell, Bill (March 3, 2021). "Ronny Jackson 'Bullied' Subordinates And Broke Alcohol Rules, Pentagon Report Finds". NPR. Retrieved March 3, 2021.
- ^ Ferman, Mitchell (March 3, 2021). "Pentagon review says U.S. Rep. Ronny Jackson made sexual comments, violated alcohol policy while White House physician, CNN reports". The Texas Tribune. Retrieved March 7, 2024.
- ^ Brice-Saddler, Michael (December 9, 2019). "Ex-White House doctor allegedly known as 'Candyman' is running for Congress in Texas". The Washington Post. Retrieved December 9, 2019.
- ^ Allassan, Fadel (December 9, 2019). "Former White House doctor Ronny Jackson running for Congress". Axios. Retrieved December 9, 2019.
- ^ Axelrod, Tal (March 4, 2020). "Former White House physician heading to runoff in Texas congressional race". The Hill. Retrieved May 28, 2020.
- ^ Warren, Thomas (May 26, 2020). "Trump Tweets Support for Ronny Jackson". The Amarillo Pioneer. Retrieved June 8, 2020.
- ^ ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the originalon July 15, 2020. Retrieved July 15, 2020.
- ^ a b Johnson, Martin (May 13, 2020). "Trump's ex-White House doctor accuses Obama of weaponizing 'highest levels' of government". The Hill. Retrieved May 14, 2020.
- ^ a b Forgey, Quint (July 15, 2020). "Former Trump physician Ronny Jackson: 'Wearing a mask is a personal choice'". Politico. Retrieved July 15, 2020.
- ^ Dallas News. May 2, 2022.
- Texas Tribune. April 19, 2022.
- ^ "Far-right Oath Keepers exchanged messages about GOP Rep. Ronny Jackson during Jan. 6 riot". CBS News. April 19, 2022.
- CNN Politics. Retrieved September 30, 2023.
- ^ LeBlanc, Paul (May 19, 2021). "Here are the 35 House Republicans who voted for the January 6 commission". CNN. Retrieved July 22, 2021.
- ^ Bash, Dana; Raju, Manu; Diaz, Daniella; Fox, Lauren; Warren, Michael (February 26, 2021). "More than a dozen Republicans tell House they can't attend votes due to 'public health emergency.' They're slated to be at CPAC". CNN. Retrieved March 10, 2021.
- ^ Grayer, Annie; Diaz, Daniella (March 10, 2021). "First on CNN: Watchdog group requests investigation into 13 GOP lawmakers for misusing proxy voting". CNN. Retrieved March 10, 2021.
- ^ Hulse, Carl (March 6, 2021). "After Stimulus Victory in Senate, Reality Sinks in: Bipartisanship Is Dead". The New York Times.
- ^ Grayer, Annie; Diaz, Danielle (June 16, 2021). "Congress passes bill making Juneteenth a federal holiday". CNN. Retrieved June 16, 2021.
- ^ Cillizza, Chris (November 29, 2021). "Have you heard the new Republican conspiracy theory about the Omicron variant?". CNN. Retrieved December 1, 2021.
- ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved May 28, 2022.
- ^ Mackey, Robert (December 16, 2022). "Emboldened Right-Wing Activists Spread Lies About Rep. Katie Porter on Twitter". The Intercept. Retrieved December 17, 2022.
- ^ Svitek, Patrick (January 11, 2023). "As Donald Trump mounts his 2024 presidential bid, his support among Texas officials is waning". The Texas Tribune. Retrieved February 18, 2023.
- ^ a b Gans, Jared (May 31, 2023). "Republicans and Democrats who bucked party leaders by voting no". The Hill. Retrieved June 6, 2023.
- ^ Texas Tribune. July 31, 2023.
- ^ Texas Tribune. August 14, 2023.
- ^ "Bodycam footage shows Ronny Jackson cuss out trooper before he's tackled, cuffed at rodeo". The Dallas Morning News. August 14, 2023.
- ^ "Video shows Texas US Rep. Ronny Jackson berating officers after being wrestled to ground at rodeo". Associated Press. August 14, 2023.
- Texas Tribune. August 11, 2023.
- ^ "Rep. Jackson Named to House Armed Services Committee". Congressman Ronny Jackson. January 25, 2021. Retrieved February 2, 2021.
- ^ "Member List". Republican Study Committee. Archived from the original on January 1, 2019. Retrieved December 21, 2017.
- ^ "Religious affiliation of members of 118th Congress" (PDF). Pew Research Center. Archived (PDF) from the original on March 16, 2023.
External links
- Representative Ronny Jackson official U.S. House website
- Ronny Jackson for Congress
- Biography at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
- Financial information (federal office) at the Federal Election Commission
- Legislation sponsored at the Library of Congress
- Profile at Vote Smart
- This article incorporates public domain material from Rear Admiral Ronny L. Jackson biography. United States Navy.
- Appearances on C-SPAN