Conservative political strategist Jeffrey Lord on Wednesday challenged Democrats who question Navy Rear Adm. Ronny Jackson's fitness to be Veterans Affairs secretary, contrasting him on Newsmax TV with former Massachusetts Sen. Ted Kennedy and some of his travails while in office.
"I find it very curious that he served three presidents, one of them President Obama for eight years," Lord told "Newsmax Now" host John Bachman of Jackson, 50, the White House physician whom President Donald Trump nominated for the V.A. post.
"My friend, David Axelrod, came out and said all kinds of great things about him," he added.
Axelrod was President Barack Obama's chief campaign strategist and senior adviser.
Important: Newsmax TV is available on DirecTV Ch. 349, U-Verse 1220, DISH 216, and FiOS 615. If your cable operator does not have Newsmax TV just call and ask them to put us on – Call toll-free 1-844-500-6397 and we will connect you right away to your cable operator!
For more places to Find Newsmax TV – Click Here Now
"Now, suddenly he's nominated for a Cabinet position, and all these things are coming out," Lord said.
"I find it very interesting that in a Senate that was home to Ted Kennedy for decades — who had one serious drinking problem, Chappaquiddick and all the rest — and they never blinked."
Kennedy, who served more than four decades years in the Senate, died in 2009 at age 77.
"But all of a sudden, Dr. Jackson is a problem — and there's no indications anywhere close to that thing," Lord told Bachman. "I find that very curious."
© 2026 Newsmax. All rights reserved.