Trump Urges Senator To Resign Over False Allegations Against VA Sec. Nominee
President Donald Trump wants a Montana senator to resign for trashing Trump’s pick to lead the Department of Veterans Affairs, Fox News reported Saturday.
Trump tweeted his condemnation of Sen. Jon Tester, D-Montana, and defended Dr. Ron Jackson, who Trump nominated to lead the VA but who also withdrew Thursday after allegations against him surfaced.
Senate Majority Whip, John Cornyn, R-Texas, said the battle between Trump and Tester has only just begun, The Guardian reported.
“Jon poked the bear. Did you see the bear today? The bear was mad. If there was any doubt he was coming to Montana it was removed today. He overreached,” Cornyn said, referring to Trump’s expected efforts to campaign against Tester, who is up for re-election in November.
https://twitter.com/XStrategiesDC/status/990205014273650688
Trump’s Saturday tweets drove home the point that none of the claims made by Tester against Jackson have been proven true.
“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, Trump said in one 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
“The 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!” Trump tweeted.
….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
Allegations released by Tester’s office said Jackson was overly free with disseminating prescription opioids. Other accusations claimed Jackson was drunk and wrecked a government vehicle after a Secret Service going-away party.
As reported by CNN, the White House on Friday released documents that exonerated Jackson from allegations of misconduct.
The documents said Jackson had been in three minor accidents over the past five years while he was driving government vehicles, but that he was not at fault in any of them and that there was no alcohol use involved in the accidents.
Jackson passed audits of his use of controlled substances while operating a White House medical unit, the documents said.
The Secret Service also said there was no basis for a CNN report that Jackson had been pounding on the door of a female employee and that Secret Service personnel intervened to ensure former President Barack Obama would not be disturbed.
Jackson has denied the claims, saying the “baseless and anonymous attacks” on him were “completely false and fabricated.”
“A spokeswoman for Mr. Tester declined to comment on Friday night.”
Sen. Tester is a hit and run driver. He must not be able to get away with it.
White House Says Records Don’t Match Accusation Against Jackson, via @nytimes https://t.co/UeyD9McyWU
— Ari Fleischer (@AriFleischer) April 28, 2018
On Friday, during a press conference with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Trump vented his anger at the attacks on Jackson.
“These were false accusations about a great man; about a man who has a son who’s a top student at Annapolis; 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,” Trump said.
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