White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders doubled down Wednesday afternoon on the White House’s assertion that secretary of veterans affairs nominee Ronny Jackson was thoroughly vetted before a firestorm of accusations against him surfaced this week.
“Dr. Jackson’s record as a White House physician has been impeccable,” she said. “In fact, because Dr. Jackson worked within arm’s reach of three Presidents, he has received more vetting than most nominees.
“Dr. Jackson has had at least four independent background investigations conducted during his time at the White House, including an FBI investigation conducted as part of the standard nomination vetting process,” she continued.
She added that Jackson has been praised by former President Barack Obama, and that none of the allegations swirling around Jackson “came up” during the vetting process.
This week, stories emerged about Jackson drinking on the job, dispensing medications “like candy,” and creating a hostile work environment.
Watch below:
@PressSec says that Ronny Jackson was vetted more thoroughly than most nominees… pic.twitter.com/4dWbyO3TLO
— Kate Riga (@Kate_Riga24) April 25, 2018
Well, that’s comforting to know. LOL!
Boy the ol’ shit shoveler is pumpin’ it out at high speed today . I’m surprised the press core doesn’t have waders on
I thought it was nice how the press corps tightened the noose on the Jackson issue by making it explicit that Trump was aware of his vetting before his physical. Trump was nervous about the physical going in and may have sought leverage on the doctor, particularly in light of the wide discussion on his diminished mental faculties compared to a couple decades ago. (Rhino, nailed it). Of course, Jackson’s press conference was a bit of a farce, but it raises the issue of how Trump coaxed such a comical performance out of the doctor. In comparison, Obama’s 2016 physical was dullsville.
Follow-up question: does this mean we should expect more of these issues from others you have appointed?
“In fact, because Dr. Jackson worked within arm’s reach of three Presidents, he has received more vetting than most nominees.”
I totally believe that. I really do.