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WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump lobbied West Texas Republicans hard Monday night to send his former White House physician to Congress, pitching Ronny Jackson as a loyalist who’ll enjoy rare access for a freshman.
“He’s a friend and he’s somebody that can help me a lot in Washington,” the president said, gushing about Jackson for most of 12 minutes, calling him “an outstanding person … a very talented doctor” and “a great admiral.”
“This is the kind of people we need coming to Washington to help us. He’s loyal. He’s brave. He’s a leader, and he’ll never let the people of Texas down,” Trump said.
Jackson gushed back, clearly thrilled at the extra effort from a president who had already endorsed him, and even conferred a meeting when Air Force One touched down in Dallas last month.
“He’s a fantastic president, the best we’ve ever had. He is. He and I have worked closely for the last three years,” Jackson said. “I took care of him and his family for a few years and was one of his senior advisers. … He’s got a fantastic family. He’s an incredible leader, and he’s a fantastic commander in chief that’s beloved by all of us in the military.”
The retired rear admiral faces cattle industry lobbyist Josh Winegarner in Tuesday’s GOP primary runoff in the 13th Congressional District.
Trump drew 80% in the district, so the winner is almost certain to succeed Rep. Mac Thornberry, who supports Winegarner. The Clarendon Republican is retiring after 13 terms, including a stint as chairman of the powerful Armed Services Committee and now, its senior Republican.
That’s a lot of seniority, and Jackson has made the case that his relationship with Trump puts him in a unique position to blunt that loss of influence — assuming, of course, that Trump wins reelection.
“I know all of his Cabinet secretaries,” Jackson said, “whether it’s agriculture, commerce, energy, defense, the VA. They’re all friends of mine, I’ve taken care of them and their families for the last three years, I’ve got their home phone numbers, their cellphone numbers. If I call with an issue in this district, they’re going to pick the phone up and they’re going to want to know how they can help.”
Trump picked Jackson for veterans secretary two years ago. The nomination fell apart amid allegations that he had over-prescribed painkillers and berated subordinates.
Aides to President Barack Obama were shocked that he turned out to be a Trump-loving conservative once he became a politician, saying they’d never suspected any particular leanings.
“He’s been with us from the beginning,” Trump said on Monday night’s call.
It wasn’t clear what he was referring to, since Jackson was serving as White House physician to Obama during the 2016 campaign and took no public stance.
Trump boasted that he had rescued Texas oil and gas from a “disastrous” fate three months ago as the COVID-19 pandemic brought energy demand to a halt. He said Jackson would be a key ally of that industry, and for veterans and gun owners.
“Very strong believer in low taxes. He stands up for law and order like very few people would even understand. And he’s a big person for American energy and energy independence,” Trump said.
Said Jackson, “I will be … the only freshman congressman out there that can legitimately walk into the Oval Office.”