President Donald Trump fought back at the misconduct allegations leveled at White House physician Dr. Ronny Jackson Friday, saying the claims that forced him to withdraw his VA secretary nomination were untrue.
"These were false accusations about a great man. About a man who has a son who is a top student at Annapolis," Trump said during a joint White House press conference with German Chancellor Angela Merkel. "About a man that's given his life to this country and to the military. A brave man. He would have been a great leader."
Jackson was picked to run the Department of Veterans Affairs and was slated to attend his confirmation this week, but a series of claims revealed to the media by Sen. Jon Tester, D-Mont., ultimately derailed his nomination. Tester said a report alleged that Jackson overprescribed medication, drank on the job, and crashed a car while drunk.
Trump said earlier this week the allegations were false. On Friday, he doubled down on that assertion.
"He's a great doctor. He's a great admiral. He didn't really think a thing like this could happen. And I think it's a disgrace," Trump said. "He's an American hero and I think he's been treated very unfairly."
It's unclear whether Jackson will return to his post as White House physician.
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