Jackson at a meeting on Capitol Hill in April. Photo By Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call
President Trump announced on Saturday that he has appointed Rear Adm. Ronny Jackson, the former VA secretary nominee who withdrew in April after being accused of alcohol abuse and overprescription of medication, to serve as his chief medical adviser.
Between the lines: The appointment — buried in a long list of other personnel announcements — shouldn't be a total surprise. Jackson couldn't survive the allegations by congressional Democrats at the time, but as Axios' Jonathan Swan has reported, he was always well-liked within the White House. But CNN reports that Trump is also going one step further — pushing for him to get a second star — even while the Pentagon is still investigating his behavior.