My first impulse was to write “Not surprisingly, Rear Admiral Ronny Jackson has withdrawn from consideration as head of the Department of Veterans Affairs” — but that’s not really accurate, as I’m not sure what’s surprising or not these days. After all, would I have been surprised if he were still the nominee? The president did seem to be doubling down on his pick just a couple days ago. Also, you need look no further than Scott Pruitt to see a man surviving toxic levels of corruption allegations.
Still, there are some obvious reasons why Jackson wouldn't object to being out of the spotlight. The allegations of careless dispensing of medications and drunkenness on duty undermined not only his case for acting as VA head, but his ability to perform his current job as physician to the president.
This is why you just have to smile when you see reports of Donald Trump trying to turn Jackson’s failed nomination into a cudgel against Democratic Senator Jon Tester of Montana, who as ranking member of the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee played a prominent role in publicizing the allegations against Jackson. The president has actually called for Tester's resignation, and talks as if the senator had promoted baseless slurs against the good doctor, when in fact the larger storyline is that Tester helped protect the VA from a potentially comically unqualified leader at a time when the department cries out for competent leadership. It's also noteworthy that Trump suggested he has secret information that would end Tester's career — a creepy insinuation that reminds us both of Donald Trump's willingness to abuse the power of his office, and of his long-practiced tactic of throwing accusations back at accusers.
It’s hardly shocking that Trump would lash out at Tester rather than admit to his own catastrophic choice, but it also means that the national conversation is likelier to turn to whether Jackson should remain in his current position. More damningly for the president, it also provides a opportunity for Democrats, including Tester, to make the case that Donald Trump has failed America’s veterans by nominating such an unfit nominee; in fact, you could make the case that it shows that Donald Trump cares more about his underlings’ loyalty to himself than whether they can ensure adequate health services are provided to literally millions of American veterans. I'm not so sure the president has thought through the full consequences of pursuing this vendetta against Tester; I’m somewhat more sure that Jon Tester isn’t losing any sleep over it.
