dr. ronny jackson out the door. stand by for new details on the very serious allegations that have left dr. jackson's nomination in limbo, allegations involving drinking, improper prescriptions, and a toxic work environment. this hour, i'll get reaction from the house foreign affairs committee member, ted lieu, and our correspondents and analysts are all standing by. first, let's go to our chief white house correspondent, jim acosta. jim, what more are you learning tonight? >> wolf, as you saw earlier today, president trump seemed to give a nudge to his pick for veterans affairs secretary, dr. ronny jackson to withdraw his name for consideration. the president went as far as to concede before reporters that dr. jackson lacks the experience to run the va. the question now is whether the doctor will accept the presid t president's diagnosis. but late today, the president and dr. jackson met in the oval office. the inclination right now is for dr. jackson to hang on and keep fighting for this nomination, as one white ho

dr. ronny jackson out of critical condition. insisting president trump's pick to run the department of veterans' affairs was fully vetted. >> dr. jackson's record as a white house physician has been impeccable and in fact because dr. jackson has worked within armed reach of three presidents he's received more vetting than most nominee. >> and then she tried to pull a fast one, claiming the president did not lack the experience to run the v.a. >> yesterday the president suggested that dr. jackson does not have the experience to run the department of veterans' affairs. is that a fair assessment. >> that is not what the president said. i think you're taking some of his words out of context. and based on your -- i know you don't appreciate when people take your words out of context, so i'd appreciate if you not do that to the president. if he doesn't think he had the experience he wouldn't nominate him and that is one of the questions about him. >> reporter: and president did in fact question his level of experience. >> i know there

dr. ronny jackson? >> alisyn, my main concern about dr. y jackson in the first place is besides being the white house physician, he has never run a large medical organization. veterans administration is the single largest health care system in the world. they spend $180 billion a year, employ 370,000 people, and they provide service to 9 million of our american veterans every year. so i had questions at the outset about whether he had the management experience. the point is making sure we have vetted someone to make sure they were appropriate to run an agency. and sometimes allegations like these two on come out at the last minute about their behavior in previous roles. what was being discussed last night on cnn was truly concerning about the possibility that dr. jackson had been drunk on duty, had been someone who did not run a tight ship and a good office as white house physician. >> ye is s. but i guess what you're saying is the confirmation process should proceed. have you heard the allegations being drunk on on the job, handing out pre

dr. ronny jackson.ffairs committee released a report citing accusations of excessive drinking, including one instance where he allegedly wrecked a government car. jackson denies that. >>> a commissioner at the port authority of new york and new jersey has resigned. that's after she was caught on camera ranting at police at a traffic stop. yad na diaz has more. >> reporter: after caren turner, then a port authority commissioner, arrived at this traffic stop in tenafly, new jersey, last month, she tried to pull reign. >> do you have i.d.? >> that is my i.d. and that is my business card. i am the commissioner of the port authority. >> reporter: police dash cam captures turner berating officers after she was pulled over for an obscured license plate. her daughter was in the car. >> miss -- >> don't call me miss. >> reporter: when the officers didn't comply with her demands, she became more agitated. >> i think we should all get off of the road. it's dangerous being out here as long as we were anyway. >> i'm

dr. ronny jackson. brooke, the question at this point is just how hard republicans will fight for this nomination. obviously the white house is fighting for this nomination. they're saying these allegations facing dr. jackson are outrageous, that they are defaming somebody they consider to be a true patriot. i've heard from various officials that dr. jackson is not only a member of the military himself, but family members of his are in the military. so they're really circling the wagons around dr. jackson and trying to get his nomination at a critical position. it's a question of whether or not the republicans have the appetite on capitol hill to put up with this given all of the or ethical questions that have been facing other cabinet members. people on capitol hill have had it up to here with a lot of these ethical questions and they don't want another nomination story to deal with. >> we'll see how sarah sanders defends him presumably again today. let me ask you about john bolton, how he's wanting a b

dr. ronny jackson to become secretary of veterans affairs. jackson's confirmation hearing was scheduled to begin today. it has been postponed indefinitely. senators looking into accusations that jackson drank repeatedly on the job, created a hostile work environment, and improperly prescribed medications. listen to what senator john tester told anderson cooper about the man who is currently the white house physician. >> i understand he had a nickname in the white house among some of the staff? >> it was -- it was the candy man because he handed out prescription drugs like they were candy. >> candy man? the white house doctor is nicknamed among some in the white house was the candy man? >> that's correct. that's correct. that's what we were told. >> senator tester says the allegations against dr. jackson came from 20 active duty and former military members. president trump offering his nominee a graceful way out. jackson appears determined to dig in and fight. >> answer some questions -- >> i can answer the questions, absolutely. i'm looking fo

dr. ronny jackson. >> he would be vetted, okay? >> you're over there in the newsroom watching these conversations. what do you think? >> reporter: it's clear that the president opened the door for dr. ronny jackson to make a decision and potentially step down from his nomination at the veterans affairs department. these are the strongest words we have heard from the white house and the president. just a few hours ago, the white house released a statement giving his full credentials saying they were not going to withdraw his nomination. but the president, certainly while saying it was his decision, essentially offered him a permission slip, if you will, to step away. as gloria was just saying, what is the need to go through this ugly process? so the president was giving him a soft landing. i would be surprised, wolf, if it would be the end of the day, perhaps even the end of the afternoon if dr. jackson would still be in the running for the va secretary. importa important, senator isaacson, republican of georgia, the senate chair com

dr. ronny jackson.e doctor was started moments ago on capitol hill and when asked about the allegations against him, here's how he responded. >> is there any truth to these allegations? >> i'm looking forward to rescheduling the hearing and getting the process moving. thank you. >> reporter: any truth to these allegations? >> thanks, guys. >> reporter: what makes you qualified for this job? >> thanks, guys. >> reporter: what makes you qualified for this job? >> reporter: can you answer the questions adequately in. >> i can answer the questions. i'm looking forward to rescheduling the hearing and answering these questions. >> we know these new allegations just brought his confirmation hearing to a standstill. it was supposed to happen tomorrow. it's now been postponed indefinitely. that's go to our senior congressional correspondent. you smoke with leaders, manu, what is his response? >> they brought up his doling of prescription drugs and a toxic work environment. two whistleblowers have come and told t

dr. ronny jackson. yesterday the president suggested that dr.kson does not have the experience to run the department of veterans affairs. is that a fair assessment? >> that's not what the president said. i think you're taking some of his words out of context. we don't appreciate when people take your words out of context. i'd appreciate you do not do that to the president. if he didn't think he had the experience, he wouldn't have nominated him. obviously, the president -- >> said he doesn't have all the experience necessary to run the department. >> look, he has -- >> yes or no question. >> he has a strong background. he is a highly qualified, highly skilled individual. if he didn't think he was capable of doing the job, he wouldn't have announced his nomination. >> just since you brought up being taken out of context. seems the press related question. are you trying to say that this administration is a champion of a free press? >> certainly think that, as i have stated a moment ago, we support a free press, but we all support a fair press. i t

dr. ronny jackson, we just found out, my colleague just reporting that dr. jackson was in the oval office with the president late this afternoon, no word as to what happened at that meeting. but it is another example of the cabinet chaos that keeps on churning here at the white house. >> indeed. thanks, jim acosta at the white house. >>> and more on the nomination for the veterans' affairs secretary. our senior congressional correspondent manu raju is working this story on capitol hill. what is the state of the v.a. nominee at this hour, at least on capitol hill where you are? what are senators telling you tonight? >> reporter: well the support is shaky and chances for confirmation are worse than that at the moment. senators are very concerned about the allegations of excessive drinking and of overprescribing prescription drugs of this toxic environment that allegedly occurred in his tenure while working in the white house medical unit. now they are saying, however, that they want to know whether there is anything to corroborate the allegations from whieftle

dr. ronnie jackson lacks the necessary experience to run the v.a. he claims the president didn't say that. here's how the exchange went down earlier today. >> yesterday the president suggested that dr. jackson does not have the experience to run the department of veterans affairs. is that fair assessment? >> that's not what the president said. i think you're taking some of his words out of context. based on your speech today i know you don't appreciate when people take your words out of context. i'd appreciate it if you not do that to the president. he said that had been one of the questions people posed about him. >> reporter: in fact, we have the quote right here from the president yesterday. he said i know there is an experience problem because of lack of experience but there is an experience problem. contrary to what sarah sanders tried to tell us in the briefing room earlier today, she tried to pull a fast one and spin herself out of that question. unfortunately, she was not sticking to the facts. the president did suggest yesterday that dr. ron

dr. ronny jackson. white house officials are preparing for the possible withdraw of the nominee for secretary of veterans aff r affairs of ronny jackson. dr. jackson told colleagues he may remove his name from consideration. huddled on wednesday afternoon with white house press staff. >> earlier in the day, jackson was hit with a number of allegations in a report. democrats reviewed an abusive to colleagues and loosely handled medications and wrecked a government car drunk. jackson specifically denied that last allegation to reporters. >> no, i have not wrecked a car. thanks, guys. >> did you tell the president that, sir? >> earlier in the day, the white house defended jackson and the vetting that went into his selection. >> dr. jackson's record as a white house physician has been impeccable. because dr. jackson has worked with three presidents and received more vetting than most nominees. >> the allegations of the democrats report are just that. allegations. senate staffers still working to substantiate

dr. ronny jackson in the midst of the allegations. during a news conference trump said if he was in jackson's position, he would actually step aside. >> i said to dr. jackson what do you need it for. we'll see what happens. i don't want to put a man through who is not a political person, i don't want to put a man through a process like this, it is too ugly, too disgusting. we'll see what happens, i wouldn't do it. what does he need it for, to be abused by a bunch of politicians that aren't thinking nicely about our country? i would stand behind him. totally his decision. >> white house official tells nbc news dr. jackson met with president trump in the oval office late yesterday afternoon, described it as a quote, positive meeting. senior white house official described dr. jackson's record as white house physician as impeccable. one source tells nbc news, jackson feels allegations against him are false. another administration source emphasizes this is truly jackson's decision, and the president means it when he says he would stand by h

dr. ronny jackson. >> i know things about tester that i could say too. he would never be elected again. >> good day, everyone. i'm andrea mitchell in washington, where president trump is taking a hard line toward the central american families seeking asylum at the san diego border. border patrol officials say space constraints are preventing them from accepting new migrant applicants trying to escape from violence in their countries. joining me now is kristen welker and miguel along the border in mexico. miguel, first to you. let's get the situation down there. you have a caravan of families that have been on the road for a month or more. and they are from guatemala and other countries where they say they are escaping from violence. what is the status of their health, their conditions?

dr. ronny jackson right now is not good. senate leaders postponed a hearing today to consider jackson's nomination to lead the department of veteran's affairs. the republican chairman of the committee and his democratic counterpart cited, quote, serious allegations against jackson who's currently the white house physician. according to multiple reports, the committee is looking at allegations that jackson allowed the overprescribing of drugs and drank on the job. and the ep is now reporting that a 2012 inspector general report cited unprofessional behavior and considered removing him. this afternoon president trump left the door open for jackson to withdraw while speaking with reporters with emanuel macron. >> i told admiral jax an while ago -- admiral jackson a while ago, what do you need this for? i don't want to put a man

dr. ronny jackson. there are all of these allegations that are really troubling that have come out from what democrats say are 23 current and former staffers that worked with him but knit they were unconfirmed. instead of shutting all of this down because of these, you know, accusations and rumors, et cetera. >> well, yes. there is certainly an argument to be made for that. supporting that is the fact that he has a lot of support from those who work closely with him in the obama administration and bush administration until now. i don't think it will get to that point because i think he will be done. he will withdraw and subtly or not so subtly pushed from continuing this. even this administration's penchant for a fight, do they want this when they have other things to deal with? that said, i can certainly see this president is and his support, saying, no, let's do this to really show overreach on the part of the on democrats. especially if there are things that can't be proven. >> >> you have the surpri

dr. ronny jackson outrageous saying the president continues to stand behind him although noting and refusingne denied the allegations over the last few days and pay attention to that in the coming hours. >>> other news, another federal judge has overruled the trump administration's effort to end daca. this time saying the government must accept new applications from the so-called dreamers. the ruling will not take immediate effect and the judge delayed it for 90 days to allow to make its case. they adequately explained its conclusion that the program was unlawful. >> we have new details this morning about the suspected waffle house shooter. according to cnn affiliate wsmv, the shooter erased his laptop's hard drive weeks before the shooting. he took his laptop to a nashville repair shop last month and asked the staff to swipe, to clean all of the information. the owner of the repair shop saying there was nothing unusual about the transaction. the alleged shooter is charged with four counts of criminal homicide and four counts of attempted murder and one count of unlawful gun possession in co

dr. ronny jackson, the president's nomination for v.a. aying he is not withdrawing from the nomination. this follows a summary of the allegations surrounding him becoming public moments ago that include more details about jackson's alleged -- alleged loose practice of prescription drugs and in an incident where he reportedly wrecked a government vehicle while intoxicated and he denied that. lawmakers have not substantiated the details but they continue to share them. and he denied the claim about wrecking the car to cnn. my panel is here with me. let's start with phil mudd who i want to go to first, he works in the cia and the fbi and he knows about the nomination and vetting process. what is your take on the story. dr. jackson, drip, drip, we don't know what is true and not true but there are a lot of people, 23 according to senate democrats who have some rather ugly descriptions of his past behavior. >> this is an example of why washington doesn't work in -- and for every high school student watching why you should get a lesson in civics

dr. ronny jackson as you saw there from one official and citing president barack obama's words yesterday, sending that out to reporteders where the statements he said about dr. jackson. dr. jackson served in that administration, as well. president barack obama said his positive impact cannot be overstated. he said he was a tremendous asset to the entire white house team. continuing on, the white house rallying behind him after the president said he wouldn't blame dr. jackson and he did not want him to. the president during the press conference admitting that dr. jackson has an experience problem and that was a problem that he was facing long before they came out and republicans, as well who were worried about nominating and confirming this person to be the next va secretary because of course, they said he's never run anything like that before. regardless before these allegations, he was facing an uphill battle and of course, it was delayed indefinitely and marc short did tell us the white house would request a new hearing from dr. ykson. >> we are all waiting for that to be put back on th

dr. ronny jackson. senator john tester will join us shortly. >>> plus after he called it insane, the president signals a possible breakthrough on the iran deal so where does it stand now? >>> and melania trump gets her moment in the spotlight with the visit of the french leaders. stay with us. ng they are. going beyond expectations... because our pets deserve it. beyond. natural pet food. if you have moderate to severe plaque psoriasis, little things can be a big deal. that's why there's otezla. otezla is not an injection or a cream. it's a pill that treats psoriasis differently. with otezla, 75% clearer skin is achievable after just 4 months, ... with reduced redness, thickness, and scaliness of plaques. and the otezla prescribing information has no requirement for routine lab monitoring. don't use if you're allergic to otezla. otezla may cause severe diarrhea, nausea, or vomiting. tell your doctor if these occur. otezla is associated with an increased risk of depression. tell your doctor if you have a

dr. ronny jackson has withdrawn his nomination. will he now stay on after the president's doctor after stepping away from the v.a. nomination? dr. sanjay gupta is here next with that. if you have moderate to severe plaque psoriasis, or psoriatic arthritis, little things can be a big deal. that's why there's otezla. otezla is not an injection or a cream. it's a pill that treats differently. for psoriasis, 75% clearer skin is achievable with reduced redness, thickness, and scaliness of plaques. and for psoriatic arthritis, otezla is proven to reduce joint swelling, tenderness, and pain. and the otezla prescribing information has no requirement for routine lab monitoring. don't use if you're allergic to otezla. otezla may cause severe diarrhea, nausea, or vomiting. tell your doctor if these occur. otezla is associated with an increased risk of depression. tell your doctor if you have a history of depression or suicidal thoughts, or if these feelings develop. some people taking otezla reported weight loss. your doctor should monitor yo

dr. ronny jackson in a hearing to defend himself. but the point still stands about some of this -- this should have been prepped by some of this. we reported in "the wall street journal" yesterday that dr. jackson and trump just talked about some of these accusations yesterday. jackson assured him that there was nothing to them. he was willing to defend himself. and now we see -- and dr. jackson likes -- trump likes jackson. >> but that's the part of this, the president of the united states just hearing about some of this yesterday from a person he has nominated for one of the most critical agencies in the united states of america. to phil's vote, a vote for secretary of state, you don't hear much when you go home. a vote for the v.a., this is a big deal. th operations, when death is all but assured are called suicide missions. the person responsible for this mess is president trump. he's now left a military veteran who, again, innocent until proven guilty, but the white house is supposed to help him prepare for this. >> it's their j

dr. ronny jackson is under fire. t trump's pick for the veterans affairs secretary is facing serious questions about alleged personal and unprofessional behavior. the president has encouraged jackson to fight for his confirmation. joining us from capitol hill is congressman mike quigley. lots to get through, but let me start with dr. jackson. he says he's not dropping out, even though the deck seems stacked against him. by numbers from both sides of the aisle. what would your advice be, fight or drop out? >> i think my advice would be to the president of the united states. why add to the problem? 19 people left the administration already. others are under fire. you're supposed to be draining the swamp. but adding dr. ronny jackson to this mix seems to be adding water to the swamp, instead of trying to solve the problem. >> so you want him to drop out, and find someone else many >> i think the president doesn't have any choice at this point. it just seems the utmost in stubbornness, recognizing there are calls to have

dr. jackson received unanimous praise from dozens of witnesses, and the investigations revealed no areas of concern. >> bret: as of tonight, ronny jackson is still the nominee for veterans affairs secretary, and the white house press saying to get a confirmation process started again on capitol hill. let's bring in the panel. charles hurt, opinion writer for "the washington times." mo elleithee, executive director of the georgetown institute of politics. jonathan swan, national political reporter for axios. jonathan, is the white house firm in the pushback, seems so. behind the scenes, are they saying the same thing? >> the white house is conflicted in the sense that they almost unanimously, i have yet to find anyone who doesn't think he's a good man who is being unfairly -- allegations are out there. we don't know if they are true or not. some of them have become personally, those close to him feel upset to see this happening to a guy they consider to be a good man. on the other side, it's very hard to find a senior white house official who thinks that he's the right selection for the job. and beliefs trump unannounced him in t

dr. ronny jackson will withdraw his nomination to head the veterans administration. dr. jackson met with top white house aides tonight in the wake of stunning new allegations that he, the white house physician, wrecked a government vehicle while drunk, and that on at least one occasion he could not be reached when needed because he was, quote, passed out in his hotel room. and that missing percocet from his office threw his own staff into a panic. these allegations are based on 23 current and former military members who were on his staff. there is a lot to get to this evening. admiral john kirby and richard painter join me now. admiral, these are not just willy-nilly allegations. >> i'm stunned that some of are both current and former. that tells you there may be relevance to it in terms of time. yes, these are serious allegations for any naval officer and ought to be taken seriously. >> dr. jackson was at the white house tonight, according to one official he was there to talk to aides about his next step. we're told we're not getting any announcement tonight, but do you

dr. ronny jackson meeting with officials last night. the president is beginning to wonder aloud whether jack is son should step down before things get worse, is the quote. this comes amid explosive of new allegations in a document compiled by senate democrats detailing what nearly two dozen current and former colleagues of jackson say was up proper behavior. being abusive to them, wrecking a government car while intoxicated and loosely dispensing prescription opioids. >> and long-time attorney michael cohen is asserting his fifth amendment rights to avoid being deposed in the stormy daniels case. daniels's attorney calls this a stunning development. sources tell cnn rudy giuliani met with robert mueller to discuss a potential interview with the president. abby phillip is live at the white house with our top story. good morning, abby. >> reporter: well, good morning, alisyn. the president's nominee to be the v.a. secretary, dr. ronny jackson, says that he's going to hold on and that he looks forward to talking to reporters in the coming

is certainly a question the white house is having some difficulty answering now for his part dr ronnie jackson says in fact that these are false and fabricated allegations that he handed out drugs like percocet like candy to staff members couldn't account for the missing drugs also that he attended an after party to an official event that was attended by the secret service where he proceeded to legibly to get intoxicated and crash a government vehicle these are very serious concerns about character and as a result they were put forward the white house initially standing by dr ronnie jackson but in the statement that was issued by the doctor he said this in his he had become such a distraction for the president that in fact he withdrew his name from the nomination process so certainly there are questions not only about how the white house could have missed these allegations which the doctor says are coming from disgruntled former employees he once worked with but at the same time there are also questions now about whether or not he will be able to continue in his role as white house physician g

dr. ronny jackson. he's a navy admiral. he is currently the physician to the president. jackson came to public prominence for his extremely positive assessment of president trump's health. members of both parties have expressed concerns about jackson's readiness to run the federal government's second largest bureaucracy with 370,000 employees. now much more serious allegations have emerged which have led to an investigation and put his confirmation hearings on hold. tonight his nomination is officially in trouble. senator jon tester of montana, the top democrat on veterans affairs, detailed some of these allegations earlier tonight in an interview with npr. >> they fall in three different areas. improper dispensing of prescription drugs, repeatedly drunk while on duty while traveling, and creating a toxic work environment. he is the physician for the president and in the previous administration, we were told stories where he was repeatedly drunk while on duty where his main job was to take care of the most powerful man in the world. that's not acceptable. we didn't initia

dr. ronny jackson. that's a senate issue i terms confirmation. you're in the house.u'll be dealing with scott pruitt at the epa. you got about six open investigations into him about what he's been doing and whether it's ethical and right as a cabinet secretary. what are you your feelings about how much stink is too much? >> well, they're always investigations of conduct in the executive branch by the legislative branch, the united states congress, so this is not abnormal. there are always people who will level accusations against people in power. some of those accusations have merit, some do not and hopefully will be able to work our way through these investigations with a minimal amount of partisanship, get to what truly transpired and once we have gotten to the facts and the truth of the matter, then the executive branch can make whatever decision they need to make in order to repair whatever damage has been done to their reputation if, again, if those accusations and allegations are substantiated by evidence. >> from what you've heard thus far, should dr. jackson

dr. ronnie jackson's bid to become the v.a. secretary. senators james lankford and jeanne shaheen trying to free an american pastor in turkey. they are here with new developments. first, this is a fox news alert. president trump's first state dinner honoring the french president says the two leaders toasted each other, most of it focused on iran, president trump wishing for a new deal to constrain the nuclear ambitions. the white house gets ready to fight for a navy admiral, praised by barack obama, plagued by partisan concerns, claims he says he looks forward barack ob bipartisan concerns amid ack ob troubling allegations, he looks forward to answering. kristen fisher covering the debate over a cabinet nominee. the white house didn't that properly. we begin with chief national correspondent ed henry and some substance. >> they are wrapping up the state dinner. this is an interesting case, pretty intimate, they only had 13 tables, 10 to a table, candlelit, this friendship is butting. we are seeing french president macroin filling a vacuum

dr. ronny jackson is no longer the nominee to run the va. jackson withdrew this morning, embroiled in a series of allegations ranging from drinking on the job to freely doling out prescription pills to create an abusive work environment. in a statement jackson said the allegations against him were completely false and fabricated. and on fox this morning the president complained about the way jackson was treated. >> doc ronny. you know, we call him doc ronny. we call him admiral -- he's an admiral. highly respected. a real leader. and i watched what john tester of montana, a state that i won by over 20 points, you know, really they love me and i love them. and i want to tell you that john tester, i think this is going to cause him a lot of problems in his state. he took a man who was just an incredible man, an incredible man, respected by president obama, gave him his highest rating. you saw what president obama said. president bush, he was the doctor to president bush, to president obama and the family. he's been my doctor, and he runs a fant

dr. ronny jackson. >> it's unfortunate. e'll never get a chance to know how much of this is true. dr. jackson was denying a lot of it and obviously the democrats were dredging up some of this stuff. it's unfortunate it ended the way it did. clearly we need somebody in that position to represent and work on behalf of our nation's finest and those are our veterans. i hope the next nominee is somebody we can get confirmed quickly but it is -- when you see what nominees have to go through in this process, it is a wonder that anybody is willing to serve. >> rick: we have to go. senator thune, thank you in the swamp. >> sandra: new reaction from president trump describing his historic meeting with kim jong-un. >> president trump: it could be i walk out quickly with respect. maybe the meeting won't take place. who knows? i can tell you right now they want to meet. >> sandra: the president revealing new details on mike pompeo's sit-down with the dictator as we're a ways from a summit. >> rick: jeb bush saying he is as strong as an o

ronny jackson situation. >> greg: great timing, right? obama's dr.ked it. >> peter: plenty of motivation motivation. >> kimberly: here's what i have to say about the about the nobel peace prize. return to sender. maxine waters is so determined to get president trump out of office, she's going to say anything, even if it's not true. her latest and greatest next. there was an idea. to bring together a group of remarkable people. to help save the universe... from paying too much on their car insurance. hey, there's cake in the breakroom... what are you doing? um...nothing? marvel studios' avengers: infinity war, in theaters april 27th. now...where were we? ♪ >> peter: maxine waters, she has a long history. someone might want to get the congresswoman a calculator. >> everywhere i go, people are talking about, why can't you get rid of him? why don't they impeach him? what is wrong with congress, why don't they stand up? i am hearing it on i'm told 70% of women who have been polled say they want him impeached. >> peter: we have done some looking. we are no

dr. ronny jackson. the president's pick under fire tonight under allegations of drinking while on duty and improperly handing out prescription medication like candy. that's a quote. and there's more. a source telling cnn that dr. jackson drunkenly banged on a female employee's door in 2015. becoming so disruptive the secret service stopped him out of then concern he had then wake president barack obama. i want to bring in "the new york times" columnist nicholas kristof. we'll have to stop and go to the breaking news and get to our reporter down in arizona. thank you for joining us. what did you make of this first state visit? >> it was fascinating because trying desperately to woo president trump on the issue of the iran deal and angela merkel will be here later this week. they desperately want the u.s. to remain in the iran deal because essentially there's no alternative if he blows it up on may 12th. and president trump left mixed messages. on one hand he said it was an insane deal. on the other hand,

dr. ronny jackson. president trump expressing his support today even as he seemed to be nudging jackson to withdraw. jackson is currently the president's personal white house physician who you may recall gave that upbeat televised news conference about president trump's health back in january. tonight disturbing stories of workplace behavior have put his confirmation hearing on hold. our kristen welker has late details. >> reporter: tonight stunning accusations against president trump's personal physician and nominee for secretary of veterans affairs. dr. ronny jackson facing allegations of over prescribing medications, drinking on the job, and creating a hostile work environment which the ranking democrat on the veterans affairs committee talked about late tonight. >> in the previous administration, we were told the stories where he was repeatedly drunk while on duty where his main job was to take care of the most powerful man in the world. that's not acceptable. >> reporter: in a surprising move, pres

dr. ronnie jackson as nominee? >> we know nothing about what dr. what his vision is for the v.a. but margaret this is what i will tell you. what concerns me very much is that right now in washington we have a family called the koch, third wealthiest family in america, family prepared with few of their other billionaire friends to spend $400 million on the coming elections. they are now the most powerful political force in america, stronger than the democratic national committee for republican national committee. their view has been we have got to privatize and privatize. what dr. shulkin who trump just fired this week has told sus that the reason for his firing is that he resisted privatization of the veterans administration. i work very closely with the major veterans organizations, american legion, the vfw, vietnam vets, all of the veterans organization. what they say is they want to strengthen the v.a. not dismember it, not privatize it. we will see what dr. jackson has to say. >> brennan: the white house says at this time they have no intent to

dr. ronny jackson to withdraw. >> he's a great man and he got treated very, very unfairly. he got treated really unfairly. >> in a statement, dr. jackson denied the drawn dry list of allegations democrats had amassed against him saying i expected tough questions about how to best care for our veterans. but did i not expect to have to dignify baseless and anonymous attacks on my character and integrity. the senate minority leader said if anyone to is to blame the mail strum around dr. jackson it's president trump. >> the president is what caused this problem by not properly vetting, by making these decisions on the fly, by making sure they don't count. >> as the jackson withdrawal was still settling, the president's embattled e.p.a. administrator was in the hot seat in congress. bombarded with questions about political favors and excessive spending on travel, security, and the secure phone booth. >> unfit to hold public office and undeserving of the public trust. >> pruitt insisted the charges against him are way overblown. >> half truths are at best stories that have been so

dr. ronny jackson withdrew his name today amid allegations ranging from drunken behavior on the job to mishandlings. jackson saying in a statement the allegations against me are completely false and fabricated. if they they have any merit i would not have been selected, promoted and serving in a sensitive role as physician to three presidents over the past 12 years. after jon tester detailed the allegations against jackson to the media, the president threatened his political future. >> i think jon tester has to have a big price to pay in montana because i don't think people in montana -- the admiral is the kind of person that they respect and admire. and they don't like seeing what's happened. >> trump also critical of fbi director james comey in the wide ranging phone interview today. >> did a great thing for the american people by firing him. i love the fbi. the fbi loves me. but the top people in the fbi headed by comey were crooked. >> reporter: the president also had ominous words for his own justice department. >> and our justice department, which i try and stay away from, but some point i w

dr. ronny jackson.n an article, jackson taken aback by the nomination said senior white house officials. after aides gauged his interest in recent days, he hesitated to take on such a big job. but the president continued to push and told his senior staff monday that the doctor was his top choice. you say, lisa, this is more about perm chemistry for the president. >> that's right. so it was really clear to us from administration officials that the president was really enamored of dr. jackson who by all accounts is a very nice and good doctor at the white house as a presidential physician for 12 years and wanted him to do the job because hi felt they had a good bond, in part because of how dr. jackson handled himself on the podium in front of the press after giving the president a physical in which he said in very, very glowing terms that the president, you know, would live for a very long time and despite his lack of exercise, high cholesterol levels and overweight, that he would -- he ease in fabulous h

dr. ronny jackson. he's trump's pick to lead the v.a., but yesterday, his confirmation hearing got rescheduled after rumors surfaced that jackson over-prescribed pills and drank on the job. and today, we're learning some damaging new details. for instance, one trip during the obama presidency, "white house staff needed to reach dr. jackson for medical reasons and found him passed out in his hotel room after a night of drinking." so the staff members took the medical supplies they were looking for without him. "ah, mr. president, this may hurt a little. or a lot. i don't know. i'm not a doctor. drop trou, let's go." and on an overseas trip in 19-- 2000-- sometimes. and on an overseas trip in 2015, jackson was intoxicated and banged on the hotel room door of a female employee. now, we don't know the full story. maybe he was just warning her that there was an aggressive, drunk doctor outside her door. ( laughter ) and his drinking put people in danger. once, at a secret service party, the doctor got intoxi

dr. ronny jackson held late night meetings at the white house amid reports the administration is considering pulling the nomination. this follows new allegations against dr. jackson that he crashed a government car while he was drunk. abc's tara palmeri has the latest on how jackson is now fighting back this morning. good morning, tara. >> reporter: good morning, kendis and diane. that's right. dr. jackson is fighting to be confirmed, however, there are serious questions about whether he's capable of running the government's second largest agency. president trump's top pick to lead the v.a., dr. ronny jackson facing new claims that while serving as white house doctor he was, quote, flat out unethical. that's according to nearly two dozen of his current and former colleagues who told the senate committee overseeing his hearing that he was, quote, abusive, volatile and the worst officer i ever served with. among the startling accounts of professional misconduct provided to abc news, he was accused of getting drunk and wrecking a government vehicle, a claim he flatly denies. >> should be very e

dr. ronny jackson, the took center stage. >> i said what do you need it for? is totally his decision, but he will be making a decision. >> the president insisting he's unaware of the allegations threatening jackson's confirmation, throwing his full support behind the white house physician but also giving him an out. >> what does he needed for? to be abused by a bunch of politicians? that aren't thinking nicely about our country. i really don't think personally he should do it but it's totally his. i would stand behind him. totally his decision. >> on the centerpiece of their meeting, iran policy, president trump and macron diverge. macron preferring president trump to stay in the iran nuclear deal. president trump warning iran not to restart its nuclear program even if the u.s. pulls out. >> they restarted, they're going to have big problems. there than they've ever had before. if iran threatens us in any way, they will pay a price like you countries have ever paid. >> president trump facing a a 12 deadline to either waive sanctions against iran or withdraw fro

dr. ronny jackson was known as, quote, the candy man, for handing out prescription drugs. and there are accusations of drinking on the job. a source tells cnn jackson has no plans to step aside. t white house at times jump to go his defense. it does not outshine the glitz and glamour state dinner with the french president. the first lady shining as the host of this dinner and party. >> what about on the substance? president trump signaling progress on a possible fix to the iran nuclear deal. he issued an ominous warning to iran. did he succeed in getting them to stay in the multination accord? and the president flipping the script kim jong-un very tphauho. this is a man he once mocked as little rocket man. they will not negotiate any concession until pyongyang takes nuclea arsenal.ismantling its we have it all covered. let's begin withcnn's abby phillip live at the white house. ab? >> reporter: good morning, chris. by all accounts, the first state dinner of the trump presidency was a smashing success, especially for first lady melania trump, who quite literally is s is hone

dr. ronny jackson and to what jonas just said.ons of a hostile work environment, which i think is relevant to his capacity to running the v.a. not only the 375,000 employees, if you if he's treating those on his staff, even that much smaller, in an inappropriate way at all, we certainly don't want that person in a cabinet position. but generally speaking the most important thing to be hearing from him in his testimony is his capacity and ability to be running a bureau of this size. >> neil: all right. all i know is two formers presidents, barack obama and president bush thought highly of the doctor. i know this is different, serving an agency for 11 million veterans. but it does appear to be helping him. >> you raise an excellent point. that our v.a. is not doing its job in serving our veterans. that's the most crucial question. so far the question hasn't been asked or answered in the press or otherwise. there's too much speculation going on about all of these allegations about his personal behavior, what have you and frankly i th

dr. ronnie jackson, the president's pick to head the v.a. will be postponed this week as lawmakers looking to allegations of improper conduct against him. we're following also the news of former president george h.w. bush. he's in intensive care this morning. he's being treated for an infection. we have it all covered. let's begin with abbey phillips. she's live at the white house. what do do we expected to? >> reporter: the preparations are well under way at the white house for a day of ceremony and pomp and circumstance, but the french president macron is here on a diplomatic mission to sure up his personal relationship with president trump and hopefully convince him to stay in the iran deal. president trump rolling out the red carpet welcoming french president emanuel macron. beyond the pomp and circumstance of his three day visit the two leaders are expected to tackle several thorny foreign policy issues including the 2015 iran nuclear deal, north korea denuclearization, russian aggression, the syrian civil war and climate change. macron

dr. ronny jackson, the white house -- a white house official says dr. s returned to the white house medical unit, but has not returned as the president's physician. the official says it is unclear if that will happen. another physician we are now told has been serving as the president's doctor since the jackson nominations, since he was nominated to be secretary of veterans affairs, although he may have pulled the plug on his bid to run the veterans affairs department. the questions that torpedoed the nomination has not gone away. we have new reporting on that tonight, we'll bring you that momentarily. first the president's two-word take on it. >> they have this witch hunt going on. with people in the justice department that shouldn't be there. it's a witch hunt. it's a witch hunt. that's all it is. >> a witch hunt, he says. but that's not quite all he says. >> ronny jackson, admirable doctor, is one of the finest men that i've met over the last long period of time. high quality. high-quality family. i just met them. and i explained what happened. i expl