WASHINGTON D.C. – President Donald Trump called on Democratic Sen. Jon Tester to resign Saturday morning saying allegations against the President’s nominee for VA Secretary are proving false.
Trump called for Tester’s resignation in a two-part tweet.
Allegations made by Senator Jon Tester against Admiral/Doctor Ron Jackson are proving false. The Secret Service is unable to confirm (in fact they deny) any of the phony Democrat charges which have absolutely devastated the wonderful Jackson family. Tester should resign. The…..
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 28, 2018
….great people of Montana will not stand for this kind of slander when talking of a great human being. Admiral Jackson is the kind of man that those in Montana would most respect and admire, and now, for no reason whatsoever, his reputation has been shattered. Not fair, Tester!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 28, 2018
Earlier in the week the Senate Veteran’s Affairs Committee, whose job it is to vet VA nominees, put a scheduled hearing with Rear Admiral Ronny Jackson’s on hold indefinitely.
Tester, the ranking Democrat on the committee, said nearly two dozen current and former colleagues of Jackson had come forward accusing the doctor of misconduct.
Tester’s office released a broad summary of the allegations, they include accusations that Jackson overprescribed or improperly prescribed medication, drank on the job, and created a hostile working environment.
Jackson and President Trump have called the allegations false. And the U.S. Secret Service went as far as issuing a news release refuting one of the accusations.
The agency says it has no record of an alleged 2015 incident that claimed agents had to intervene during a foreign trip to keep Jackson from disturbing former president Barack Obama.
Doctor Jackson withdrew from the nomination Thursday saying, “these false allegations had become a distraction for the President.”
The allegations against Jackson, however, were not the only concern. Other senators, including some Republicans, had expressed concerns that Jackson lacked the necessary experience to lead an agency as large as the Department of Veteran’s affairs.
Senator Jon Tester rejected the call to resign Saturday morning. In a statement sent to MTN Tester said, “It’s my duty to make sure Montana veterans get what they need and have earned, and I’ll never stop fighting for them as their Senator.”
