Jackson bows out of VA secretary nomination

White House physician Ronny Jackson, President Donald Trump’s pick to head the Department of Veterans Affairs, withdrew his name from consideration early Thursday amid accusations of improper behavior. Jackson described claims of overprescribing drugs and poor leadership as “false allegations.” In a statement issued by the White House, Jackson said he “did not expect to have to dignify baseless and anonymous attacks on my character and integrity.” Trump has consistently defended Jackson against attacks, and on Thursday he called into Fox & Friends to describe his personal physician as an “incredible man” who “runs a fantastic operation.” The president did not say who he intended to nominate next. Jackson has served as White House physician, an appointment made by the U.S. Navy, since 2006. Trump fired VA Secretary David Shulkin, an Obama-era appointee, earlier this month after an ethics scandal. In addition to concerns about Jackson’s behavior in his current job, lawmakers questioned whether he had the experience to lead the country’s second-largest agency, which has 360,000 employees and serves 9 million veterans.