Beleaguered White House doctor Ronny Jackson has told colleagues he might withdraw as President Donald Trump's nominee for secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs, The Washington Post reported Wednesday.
The Post, citing two unnamed source, reported Jackson has grown frustrated with the nomination process. He has faced — and denied — allegations of questionable drug prescriptions, drunkenness, and creating a hostile work environment.
Veteran advocates and lawmakers have expressed concerns about the former combat physician's lack of management experience, and some have worried he would acquiesce to Trump's goal of outsourcing more veteran services.
Jackson was expected to huddle with administration officials at the White House on Wednesday evening, CNN reported.
White House spokesman Raj Shah told CNN "of course" aides were preparing for the possibility Jackson could withdraw his nomination.
"This is, as the president said, Dr. Jackson's decision," Shah told "Erin Burnett OutFront." "We stand behind him 100 percent, depending on what he decides to do. We think he'll make a great secretary of Veterans Affairs, but this is a nasty process right now."
Speaking on Capitol Hill, White House Legislative Affairs Director Marc Short said allegations of misconnect that have surfaced caught the Trump administration off guard.
"It appears these allegations were brought to senators and so, in some cases, all of us are in the dark as to the allegations themselves," said Short, who said he was meeting with Jackson at the White House, CNN reported.
According to CNN, Trump appears also to wonder if Jackson should step aside "before things get worse," an official told CNN.
Earlier Wednesday, Jackson said he would fight on.
"We're still moving ahead as planned," Jackson said, adding denials of several of the fresh allegations, including that he had wrecked a government car after drinking.
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