Ronny Lynn Jackson (born May 4, 1967) is an American physician, politician, and retired

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...

rear admiral Rear admiral is a senior naval flag officer rank, equivalent to a major general and air vice marshal and above that of a commodore and captain, but below that of a vice admiral. It is regarded as a two star " admiral" rank. It is often rega ...

who is the U.S. representative for . Jackson joined the White House Medical Unit in the mid-2000s under George W. Bush, and served as

Physician to the President The physician to the president is the formal and official title of the physician who is chosen by the president to be his personal physician. Often, the physician to the president also serves as the director of the White House Medical Unit, a ...

from 2013 to 2018 under

Barack Obama Barack Hussein Obama II ( ; born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, Obama was the first Af ...

and

Donald Trump Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who served as the 45th president of the United States from 2017 to 2021. Trump graduated from the Wharton School of the University of P ...

. On March 28, 2018, Trump nominated Jackson to be

United States secretary of veterans affairs The United States secretary of veterans affairs is the head of the United States Department of Veterans Affairs, the department concerned with veterans' benefits, health care, and national veterans' memorials and cemeteries. The secretary is a me ...

to succeed David Shulkin. On April 23, 2018, allegations of misconduct and mismanagement during his service in the White House were reported. The administration disputed the allegations. Concern was also expressed about Jackson's lack of management experience. On April 26, 2018, Jackson withdrew his nomination as Secretary of Veterans Affairs. On February 2, 2019, Trump appointed Jackson Assistant to the President and Chief Medical Advisor, a new position in the Executive Office. Jackson retired from the Navy on December 1, 2019, and on December 9, he filed to run for

Congress A congress is a formal meeting of the representatives of different countries, constituent states, organizations, trade unions, political parties, or other groups. The term originated in Late Middle English to denote an encounter (meeting of ...

in Texas's 13th congressional district. Placing second in the Republican primary, he won a runoff for the nomination and the November 3, 2020, general election.

Early life

Jackson was born to Waymon and Norma Jackson and raised in

Levelland, Texas Levelland is a city in Hockley County, Texas, in the United States. As of the 2020 census, the city population was 12,652, down from 13,542 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Hockley County. It is located on the Llano Estacado, west ...

. He has a brother and a sister who live and work in Levelland. He attended Texas A&M University at Galveston, graduating in 1991 with a

Bachelor of Science A Bachelor of Science (BS, BSc, SB, or ScB; from the Latin ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for programs that generally last three to five years. The first university to admit a student to the degree of Bachelor of Science was the University o ...

degree in

marine biology Marine biology is the scientific study of the biology of marine life, organisms in the sea. Given that in biology many phyla, families and genera have some species that live in the sea and others that live on land, marine biology classifi ...

. He attended medical school at the University of Texas Medical Branch, receiving his MD degree in 1995.

Military career

Jackson became a Navy officer in 1995, when he received his M.D. from the University of Texas Medical Branch. He graduated from the Undersea Medical Officer Program in 1996. Jackson had a series of operational postings, as officer-in-charge and diving medical officer at Explosive Ordnance Disposal Mobile Unit 8 at the naval base in Sigonella, Sicily and diving safety officer at the Naval Safety Center in

Norfolk, Virginia Norfolk ( ) is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. Incorporated in 1705, it had a population of 238,005 at the 2020 census, making it the third-most populous city in Virginia after neighboring Virginia B ...

. In 2001, he started a

residency Residency may refer to: * Domicile (law), the act of establishing or maintaining a residence in a given place ** Permanent residency, indefinite residence within a country despite not having citizenship * Residency (medicine), a stage of postgrad ...

emergency medicine Emergency medicine is the Medical specialty, medical speciality concerned with the care of illnesses or Injury, injuries requiring immediate medical attention. Emergency physicians (often called “ER doctors” in the United States) continuous ...

, which he completed in 2004. He was clinical faculty physician in the Emergency Medical Residency Program in

Portsmouth, Virginia Portsmouth is an independent city in southeast Virginia and across the Elizabeth River from Norfolk. As of the 2020 census, the population was 97,915. It is part of the Hampton Roads metropolitan area. The Norfolk Naval Shipyard and Naval M ...

for an additional year before being deployed to Iraq in 2005, where he worked as emergency medicine physician with a surgical shock trauma platoon in Taqaddum. In June 2006, Jackson became a physician in the White House Medical Unit (WHMU), ultimately working under three presidents. He became WHMU director in May 2010, and in July 2013 was given the additional title of Physician to the President. In December 2014, Jackson's duties as WHMU director ended, but he continued to be Physician to the President. In January 2017, Jackson made headlines after treating a girl who was bitten by Sunny, one of the Obamas' dogs. Jackson continued to be Physician to the President during the

administration. Upon taking office, Trump gave Jackson the additional title of Deputy Assistant to the President. Jackson became close to Trump after delivering an hourlong press conference in which he gave a glowing assessment of Trump's health, praising Trump's "incredibly good genes" and his performance on a cognitive test ("exceedingly well") and claiming that "if he had a healthier diet over the last 20 years, he might live to be 200 years old." Jackson was criticized for the statements and accused of misstating Trump's height and weight in order to minimize his obesity. Trump appointed Jackson "Assistant to the President and Chief Medical Advisor" on February 2, 2019. Jackson held the Navy rank of

captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...

from May 1, 2010, to October 1, 2016, until he was promoted to rear admiral (lower half). Jackson was nominated for promotion to the

two-star rank An officer of two-star rank is a senior commander in many of the armed services holding a rank described by the NATO code of OF-7. The term is also used by some armed forces which are not NATO members. Typically, two-star officers hold the rank ...

on March 20, 2018, but the

Senate Committee on Armed Services The Committee on Armed Services (sometimes abbreviated SASC for ''Senate Armed Services Committee'') is a committee of the United States Senate empowered with legislative oversight of the nation's military, including the Department of Def ...

returned the nomination to the president on January 3, 2019, without action. He was renominated by Trump for promotion again on January 15, 2019, but it was again returned to the president without action. Jackson retired from the Navy on December 1, 2019, as a rear admiral (lower half).

Nomination as Secretary of Veterans Affairs

On March 28, 2018, Trump announced that he planned to nominate Jackson to succeed David Shulkin as Secretary of Veterans Affairs. Some senators expressed skepticism of the nomination due to Jackson's lack of management experience. On April 23, 2018, the U.S. Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs postponed a hearing on Jackson's nomination after current and former White House medical staff accused him of creating a hostile work environment, excessive drinking on the job, and dispensing medication improperly. Senator

Jon Tester Raymond Jon Tester (born August 21, 1956) is an American farmer and politician serving as the senior United States senator from Montana, a seat he has held since 2007. A member of the Democratic Party, Tester is the dean of Montana's congressi ...

told CNN on April 24 that Jackson was known as "the candy man" at the White House, according to around 20 people who brought these concerns to the Veterans' Affairs Senate Committee, because he allegedly handed out Ambien,

Provigil Modafinil, sold under the brand name Provigil among others, is a central nervous system (CNS) stimulant medication used to treat sleepiness due to narcolepsy, shift work sleep disorder, and obstructive sleep apnea. While it has seen off-label ...

, and other prescription drugs "like they were candy". CNN also reported that during an overseas trip in 2015, an intoxicated Jackson loudly knocked on a female employee's hotel room door so noisily that the Secret Service reportedly stopped him to prevent him potentially waking up Obama. In response to the CNN story, ABC News reported that the Secret Service had no records of any incidents involving Jackson causing commotions at hotels in 2015 when Secret Service personnel were guarding Obama. Trump responded during a news conference the next day, calling Jackson "one of the finest people that I have met" but also hinting that Jackson might drop out, while blaming Democrats for mounting an unfair attack on his record. Jackson withdrew himself from consideration for Secretary of Veterans Affairs on April 26, 2018, after the Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs began formally investigating the allegations. He insisted that the allegations were "completely false and fabricated" and said he was withdrawing because the controversy had become a distraction for Trump and his agenda. Jackson returned to work in the White House Medical Unit but did not return to his position as Trump's personal physician; he was replaced in that position by Navy officer Sean Conley, who took over that role a month earlier in acting capacity. The

115th Congress The 115th United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States of America federal government, composed of the Senate and the House of Representatives. It met in Washington, D.C., from January 3, 2017, to January ...

returned this nomination to Trump on January 3, 2019, without it being considered in the Senate Committee on Armed Services.

Inspector General investigation and report

In May 2018, after receiving 12 complaints about Jackson's conduct, the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General (OIG) opened an investigation. The investigation stalled from October 2018 to August 2019 because the Trump

White House Counsel The White House counsel is a senior staff appointee of the president of the United States whose role is to advise the president on all legal issues concerning the president and their administration. The White House counsel also oversees the Of ...

's Office objected to the investigation and considered invoking executive privilege, but ultimately did not.Read: The Department of Defense inspector general's report on the conduct of Rep. Ronny Jackson
CNN (March 4, 2021) OIG investigators interviewed Jackson and 78 witnesses.Eleanor Watson
Pentagon watchdog says former White House physician bullied staff and drank recklessly on official trips
CBS News (March 4, 2021). The OIG found that its interview of Jackson "was limited in scope and unproductive" because lawyers in the Trump White House Counsel's office insisted upon participating in the interview and "instructed Jackson not to answer any questions concerning events after his appointment as the Physician to the President in July 2013." The OIG report was issued in March 2021. On March 2, 2021, the

inspector general An inspector general is an investigative official in a civil or military organization. The plural of the term is "inspectors general". Australia The Inspector-General of Intelligence and Security (Australia) (IGIS) is an independent statutory of ...

of the

Department of Defense Department of Defence or Department of Defense may refer to: Current departments of defence * Department of Defence (Australia) * Department of National Defence (Canada) * Department of Defence (Ireland) * Department of National Defense (Philipp ...

briefed members of Congress on its review. Its report documented Jackson's inappropriate interactions with subordinates and improper use of alcohol while on duty. The OIG concluded, by a preponderance of the evidence, that Jackson had "made sexual and denigrating statements about one of his female medical subordinates to another of his subordinates"; that Jackson "drank alcohol with his subordinates in

Manila Manila ( , ; fil, Maynila, ), officially the City of Manila ( fil, Lungsod ng Maynila, ), is the capital of the Philippines, and its second-most populous city. It is highly urbanized and, as of 2019, was the world's most densely populated ...

, became intoxicated, and, while in his hotel room, engaged in behavior that witnesses described as screaming and yelling, and behavior that some complained might wake the President"; and that Jackson took Ambien (a sleep medication) during official travel, "raising concerns about his potential incapacity to provide proper medical care during this travel." In addition to findings that Jackson had "engaged in inappropriate conduct involving the use of alcohol" during two presidential trips, the report also found that he "disparaged, belittled, bullied, and humiliated subordinates"; "created a negative WHMU work environment"; and "failed to conduct himself in an exemplary manner and made an unfavorable impact on the overall WHMU command climate." After the report was issued, Jackson said that the allegations were a "political hit job because I stood with President Trump" and that they "resurrected those same false allegations from my years with the Obama Administration because I have refused to turn my back on President Trump."Mitchell Ferman
Pentagon review says U.S. Rep. Ronny Jackson made sexual comments, violated alcohol policy while White House physician, CNN reports
''Texas Tribune'' (March 2, 2021).

U.S. House of Representatives

Elections

2020

On December 9, 2019, Jackson filed to run for

in Texas's 13th congressional district. The seat came open when 13-term incumbent Republican Mac Thornberry announced he would not seek reelection in 2020. Jackson finished in second place in the Republican primary–the real contest in this heavily Republican district–behind former Texas Cattle Feeders Association lobbyist Josh Winegarner, and the two faced off in a July 14 runoff election for the nomination. Jackson defeated Winegarner, 55.58% to 44.42%. According to ''The New York Times'', Jackson "ran a campaign based on his close relationship with President Trump." He leveraged that relationship to obtain assistance from two top officials with Trump's reelection campaign, Justin Clark and

Bill Stepien William Stepien is an American political consultant who served as the campaign manager for Donald Trump's 2020 presidential campaign beginning in July of that year. A member of the Republican Party, he was the White House Director of Political ...

. In May 2020, Jackson claimed without evidence that Obama had spied on the Trump campaign, and accused him of " eaponizingthe highest levels of our government to spy on President Trump." Jackson added, "Every Deep State traitor deserves to be brought to justice for their heinous actions." Jackson opposes mask mandates to halt the spread of

COVID-19 Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by a virus, the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The first known case was identified in Wuhan, China, in December 2019. The disease quick ...

. He has said, "I think that wearing a mask is a personal choice, and I don't particularly want my government telling me that I have to wear a mask." Jackson won the general election, taking 79.4% of the vote to Democratic nominee Gus Trujillo's 18.5%. Since Thornberry was elected in the 1994 Republican wave, no Democrat has crossed the 40% mark in the district, and only three have managed 30%.

Tenure

Jackson attended the January 6 "Stop the Steal" rally at the White House Ellipse. During the January 6 attack, he was inside the Capitol when members of the Oath Keepers militia allegedly exchanged text messages about protecting Jackson who had "critical data." Oathkeeper leader Stewart Rhodes replied, writing: "Give him my cell". Rhodes was later charged with

seditious conspiracy Seditious conspiracy is a crime in various jurisdictions of conspiring against the authority or legitimacy of the state. As a form of sedition, it has been described as a serious but lesser counterpart to treason, targeting activities that undermi ...

. That same day, during the certification of the 2020 election, Jackson objected to certifying Arizona's and Pennsylvania's electoral votes. On May 19, 2021, Jackson voted against legislation to establish the formation of a January 6 commission meant to investigate the storming of the U.S. Capitol. On May 2, 2022, the January 6 committee release
a letter
to Jackson requesting he meet with the committee; in response, Jackson released a statement calling the committee "illegitimate". In late February 2021, Jackson and a dozen other Republican House members skipped votes and enlisted others to vote for them, citing the ongoing

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identi ...

. But he and the other members were actually attending the

Conservative Political Action Conference The Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC; ) is an annual political conference attended by conservative activists and elected officials from across the United States and beyond. CPAC is hosted by the American Conservative Union (ACU) ...

, which was held at the same time as their absences. In response, the

Campaign for Accountability Campaign for Accountability (CfA) is a liberal 501(c)(3) non-profit ethics watchdog group headquartered in Washington, D.C.Andy SherSen. Corker bites back at watchdog group's second ethics complaint against him ''Chattanooga Times Free Press'' (M ...

, an ethics watchdog group, filed a complaint with the House Committee on Ethics and requested an investigation into Jackson and the other lawmakers. Jackson, along with all other Senate and House Republicans, voted against the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021. In June 2021, Jackson was one of 14 House Republicans to vote against legislation to establish June 19, or

Juneteenth Juneteenth is a federal holiday in the United States commemorating the emancipation of enslaved African Americans. Deriving its name from combining "June" and "nineteenth", it is celebrated on the anniversary of General Order No. 3, i ...

, as a federal holiday. In November 2021, Jackson created a conspiracy theory that Democrats made up the Omicron variant of

(he called it "MEV - the Midterm Election Variant") as "a reason to push unsolicited nationwide mail-in ballots" and to "cheat" in the upcoming midterm elections. In May 2022, the Office of Congressional Ethics reported that there was "substantial reason" to believe that Jackson had used campaign funds for personal use, to pay for unlimited access for himself and his wife to the Amarillo Club, a private dining club in Amarillo, Texas. Jackson refused to cooperate with the Congressional investigation, and his campaign's treasurer and accounting firm refused to provide documents to investigators. In December 2022, Jackson falsely claimed that Representative Katie Porter had asserted that "pedophilia is not a crime" but "an identity", referring to a deceptively edited video of a congressional hearing. Jackson has endorsed Trump's campaign in the 2024 presidential election.

Committee assignments

* Committee on Foreign Affairs * Committee on Armed Services

Caucus memberships

Republican Study Committee The Republican Study Committee (RSC) is a study group of conservative members of the Republican Party in the United States House of Representatives. As of 2021, the Chairman of the RSC is Representative Jim Banks of Indiana. Although the prima ...

Personal life

Jackson has a wife, Jane, and three children.

Awards and decorations

Jackson's decorations, awards, and badges include, among others:

References

External links

Representative Ronny Jackson
official U.S. House website
Ronny Jackson for Congress
* *
Appearances
on

C-SPAN Cable-Satellite Public Affairs Network (C-SPAN ) is an American cable and satellite television network that was created in 1979 by the cable television industry as a nonprofit public service. It televises many proceedings of the United States ...

, - , - , - {{DEFAULTSORT:Jackson, Ronny Lynn 1967 births Living people Harvard Medical School faculty Military personnel from Texas Obama administration personnel People from Levelland, Texas Physicians to the President Recipients of the Defense Superior Service Medal Recipients of the Legion of Merit Rejected or withdrawn nominees to the United States Executive Cabinet Republican Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Texas Texas A&M University alumni Trump administration personnel United States Navy rear admirals (lower half) United States Navy Medical Corps officers University of Texas Medical Branch alumni