4/26/2018

NOMINATIONS/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT/TRUMP PEOPLE/VA: “Dr. Ronny Jackson exuded confidence when he emerged from a Capitol Hill office Tuesday 4-24-18] evening, telling reporters that he looked forward to answering tough questions from lawmakers about his past. By Thursday [4-26-18] morning, Jackson was back in the White House basement, returning to his job as the President’s physician after his nomination to become the next Veterans Affairs secretary was scuttled. In less than 48 hours, Jackson was downgraded from a well-respected physician who served presidents from both parties to the latest casualty of Washington’s scandal machine. Not since former President George W. Bush’s 2005 attempt to elevate Harriet Miers to the Supreme Court has a high-level nominee been so thoroughly humiliated in the confirmation process. But the process was especially ugly — and swift — for Jackson. His downfall was fueled by a laundry list of serious, but uncorroborated, allegations from nearly two dozen current and former colleagues that ultimately came together in a memo released by Senate Democrats with, according to sources, the tacit approval of Republicans.”

Juana Summers, Manu Raju, Jeff Zeleny, Kevin Liptak, Pamela Brown and Sarah Westwood, “Inside the dramatic collapse of Ronny Jackson’s bid to lead the VA,” CNN Politics, CNN.com, April 26, 2018 9:21 pm