White House pushes back on reports of Jackson’s ouster as Trump’s physician

The White House on Monday pushed back on reports that Dr. Ronny Jackson, the failed Veterans Affairs nominee, is no longer President Trump’s personal physician.

White House spokesman Raj Shah said in a statement that Jackson, a Navy rear admiral, is “currently on active duty” and is still “assigned to the White House.”

“Despite published reports, there are no personnel announcements at this time,” Shah said. 

{mosads}The statement does not deny outright that Jackson’s role has changed on the White House medical team. 

Politico and The Washington Post reported on Sunday that Jackson will not return to his previous role as physician to the president. 

The reports said Sean Conley, a Navy veteran who had performed Jackson’s responsibilities following his nomination, would continue to serve as the president’s personal doctor. 

Jackson withdrew as nominee to lead the Department of Veterans Affairs last week amid allegations that he drank on the job, overprescribed medication and contributed to a hostile work environment. 

Those charges, which the White House has denied, compounded concerns on Capitol Hill that the former combat doctor was not qualified to lead the nation’s second-largest Cabinet agency.