DEMS/GOP/VA/TRUMP AS PRESIDENT/TRUMP PEOPLE: “President Trump acknowledged Tuesday [4-24-18] that Ronny L. Jackson, his nominee to lead the Veterans Affairs Department, is in serious trouble amid allegations that he oversaw a hostile work environment as the White House doctor, allowed the overprescribing of drugs and possibly drank on the job. Speaking at a news conference with the president of France, Mr. Trump strongly defended Dr. Jackson as ‘one of the finest people that I have met,’ but he hinted that Dr. Jackson might soon withdraw from consideration, blaming Democrats for mounting an unfair attack on his nominee’s record…The concern over Dr. Jackson’s nomination, however, is bipartisan. The Senate Veterans Affairs Committee launched its investigation last week, and the committee’s Republican and Democratic leaders jointly announced on Tuesday that Dr. Jackson’s confirmation hearing, planned for this Wednesday [4-25-18], would be postponed indefinitely. Officials familiar with the allegations against Dr. Jackson declined to offer precise details but said that they suggest a pattern of behavior, not just one or two isolated incidents.”
–Nicholas Fandos and Michael D. Shear, “Trump Hints That Ronny Jackson Might Withdraw V.A. Nomination Amid Criticism,” The New York Times online, April 24, 2018