Ronny Jackson

In May 2020, Jackson accused President Obama of "[weaponizing] the 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 retired from the Navy on December 1, 2019, and on December 9, 2019 he filed to run as a Republican for Congress in Texas's 13th congressional district.

Although Jackson was permitted to retire from the Navy on December 1, 2019, Barbara Starr of CNN reported that "standard military procedures would allow for Jackson to be brought back on active duty and face a reprimand or even a reduction of rank in his retirement" as a result of a pending Department of Defense Inspector General investigation of "allegations that he was periodically intoxicated and mishandled prescription drugs." On December 9, 2019, Jackson filed to run as a Republican for Congress in Texas's 13th congressional district, seeking to succeed the incumbent Mac Thornberry who announced he would not seek reelection in the 2020 election. Jackson finished in second place in the primary election, behind Josh Winegarner, and the two will face off in a runoff election for the Republican nomination scheduled for July 14.

On March 28, 2018, Trump nominated Jackson to be United States Secretary of Veterans Affairs to succeed David Shulkin. On April 23, 2018, allegations were publicized against Jackson alleging misconduct and mismanagement during his service in the White House. 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, President Trump appointed Jackson to serve as Assistant to the President and Chief Medical Advisor, a new position in the Executive Office.

President Trump retained Jackson as Physician to the President upon his inauguration in January 2017; Jackson attempted several times to modify President Trump's diet and exercise habits because of concerns over the latter's weight. He was nominated to the rank of rear admiral (upper half) on March 20, 2018. This nomination was returned to President Trump by the 115th Congress on January 3, 2019 without having received consideration by the Senate Committee on Armed Services. The nomination was resubmitted to the 116th Congress on January 15, 2019 and returned without consideration to President Trump on January 3, 2020 following Jackson's retirement.

On March 28, 2018, President Donald Trump announced that he planned to replace David Shulkin with Ronny Jackson 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 his nomination after current and former employees on the White House medical staff accused Jackson of creating a hostile work environment, excessively drinking on the job, and improperly dispensing medication. Senator Jon Tester told CNN on April 24 that Jackson was known as "the candy man" inside the White House, according to around 20 people who brought these concerns to the Veterans' Affairs Senate Committee. He would allegedly hand out Ambien, Provigil, and other prescription drugs "like they were candy". CNN also reported that during an overseas trip in 2015, an intoxicated Jackson loudly knocked on the hotel room door of a female employee, so noisily that the United States Secret Service reportedly stopped him to prevent him potentially waking up then-President Barack Obama. Trump responded during a news conference the next day, defending Jackson as "one of the finest people that I have met", but also hinting that his nominee might drop out, while blaming Democrats for mounting an unfair attack on the admiral's record. On April 27, 2018, the Secret Service reported that it had no records of any incidents involving Jackson having caused any commotions in hotels in 2015 when Secret Service personnel were guarding President Obama.

Jackson withdrew himself from consideration for the Secretary of Veterans' Affairs nomination on April 26, 2018, after the Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs began formally investigating the allegations. Jackson insisted that the allegations were "completely false and fabricated" and said he was withdrawing because the controversy has become a distraction for Trump and his agenda. On April 29, Politico reported that Jackson will continue to work in the White House Medical Unit but will not be returning to his position as the President's personal physician, to be replaced by Navy officer Sean Conley, who took over the role a month earlier.

In 2006, while still in Iraq, Jackson was selected as a White House physician. Since arriving at the White House, he has directed the Executive Health Care for the President's cabinet and senior staff, served as physician supervisor for the Camp David Presidential Retreat, held the position of Physician to the White House and led the White House Medical Unit as its director. He has served as White House physician during the past three administrations and was the appointed physician for President Obama. In January 2017, Jackson made headlines after treating a girl who was bitten by Sunny, one of the Obamas' dogs.

In 2001, Jackson returned to Portsmouth Naval Medical Center to begin his residency in emergency medicine, finishing at the top of his class and receiving the honor graduate designation. Upon completing his residency in 2004, he was assigned as clinical faculty in the Emergency Medicine Residency Program at the Naval Hospital in Portsmouth, Virginia. In 2005, he joined the 2nd Marine Logistics Group, Combat Logistics Regiment 25, in Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. From there he deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom as the emergency medicine physician in charge of resuscitative medicine for a forward deployed Surgical Shock Trauma Platoon in Taqaddum, Iraq.

Jackson began his active duty naval service in 1995 at Naval Medical Center Portsmouth, where he completed his internship in transitional medicine in 1996. He went on to become the honor graduate of the Navy's Undersea Medical Officer Program in Groton, Connecticut. Qualified in submarine and hyperbaric medicine, he subsequently took on operational assignments including instructor at the Naval Diving and Salvage Training Center in Panama City, Florida; detachment officer in charge and diving medical officer at Explosive Ordnance Disposal Mobile Unit 8 in Sigonella, Italy; and diving safety officer at the Naval Safety Center in Norfolk.

Jackson was born to Waymon and Norma Jackson and raised in the small town of Levelland, Texas. One of three children, Jackson has a brother Gary and a sister Stacy who still live and work in Levelland. He attended Texas A&M University, graduating in 1991 with a Bachelor of Science degree in marine biology. He went on to attend medical school at the University of Texas Medical Branch, receiving his Doctor of Medicine degree in 1995.

Ronny Lynn Jackson (born May 4, 1967) is an American physician and a retired United States Navy rear admiral. Beginning in the White House Medical Unit in the mid-2000s, Jackson was appointed to the role of Physician to the President in 2006, by George W. Bush and was retained by Barack Obama and Donald Trump. He is running to represent Texas's 13th congressional district in the U.S. House in the 2020 elections.