TRUMP PEOPLE/VA: “President Donald Trump is calling White House doctor Ronny Jackson an ‘American hero’ a day after Jackson withdrew from consideration for Veterans Affairs secretary in the wake of allegations about his conduct. Trump says during a joint press conference with German Chancellor Angela Merkel that Jackson is ‘a great doctor’ and ‘a great admiral’ and says he thinks the allegations are ‘an absolute disgrace.’ And he’s comparing Jackson’s situation to his own, saying he has been a victim of a false Russia collusion smear campaign. Trump also says he called Jackson earlier Friday [4-27-18] and told him that he’s an American hero ‘in a very big way.’ Trump says that despite what happened with Jackson, many people are interested in the VA job. He says that includes ‘some very political people’ who might handle things differently.”
-AP Staff, “Trump calls Jackson’s treatment a ‘disgrace’,” The Associated Press, April 27, 2018