v.a. still denies my claim that it's not all of this not from exposures. the politicians the congressional people that we saw tell us unforeseen drop us like a hot potato since we made sen. so we have no resolution right now the v.a. still demand our cases we have attorneys for sure we don't have any money to pay oh they're working on continuously burgess were were you are we're you know i'm just hopeful that we'll make it till. enough time to pass i can make what they call a ten year golden rule on the v.a. system itself means that the best way for ten years my family gets no benefits if i pass away after ten years. but there if it's was or i think the v.a. should take more. be more responsible with these guys because they have already put their lives on the line for us why would we. not give them the proper medical attention that they need why give them an appointment three months out and then. send it you know prolong it even more to maybe. eight months nine months a year and then even fighting for their benefits if they don't. then book person twelve months of them coming back and he doesn't get a diagnosis f

getting bills from the labs for a thousand two thousand dollars for blood work and staff call in the v.a. tell them i'm keep getting these bills call in the lab company in the v.a. supposed to pay these bills and they don't and you're already sick with chemo and radiation olson all these bills are coming in nobody's paying them. i mean i mean right now we're quarter million dollars in debt from cancer because we're bankrupt . and the v.a. still denies my claim that it's not this is not a. exposures. the politicians the congressional people that we sought to help us unfortunate drop is like a hot potato swims we make sen. so we have no resolution right now the v.a. still do minor cases we have attorneys for sure you. were going to see were jews were. you know it was awful didn't make it to a lot. of time so i can make with your golden rule the v.a. system itself means that about forty five years work only gets no benefits where after ten years i don't get the benefits it was or i think the v.a. should take more. be more responsible with these guys because they have already put their lives on th

you had a business background, you're a veteran, what did the v.a. tellrepared to do something that hard? >> i think president obama had it right. he chose me, historically, a republican, to be part of his democratic administration but he knew i ran a fortune 25 company around the world, lived around the world, worked in many cultures. but he knew i was a veteran, a west point graduate, an infantry officer and ranger. if the v.a. was a fortune 500 country, it would be number 9 in this count. i auditioned for 29 years before i became ceo of the proctor and gamble company. to think you can put a new ceo in every four years and think you can drive success, our veterans deserve better. >> robert mcdonald was secretary of veterans affairs who had remarkable support from veterans groups when the administration decided not to keep him on. i hope you're one of the people they're talking about. >> i'll answer the phone. >> and then tell me what they say. >> i will. >> he won't. stay with us. the emotions that bring us together shouldn't drive us apart. but when yo

v.a. i can tell you that. thank you. [applause] and a great friend of mine and a woman who i'm getting reports from everybody who is doing well, who is -- i'm always asking who is doing the best? and always, right in the top is linda mcmahon. thank you, linda. [applause] thank you. and bill, senator, stand up. bill, stand up. please. [applause] a lot of good congressman. my friend, this is a brave one. [applause] these guys, they fight for you. they fight for you. you fought for them, the fight for you get that i can tell you, especially this group. thank -- these are amazing people. the military spouses and families. could the families and spouses please stand up next -- stand up? incredible people [applause] their love and dedication and support is really the foundation of our military might. we give them a lot of credit. thank mikey want to remington and everyone at the wounded warrior project. mike has done an incredible job. mike has done 35 years leading soldier,as an infantry rising to the rank of infantry general

v.a. nomination of ronny jackson is on ice. i will tell you, just before we leave this subject for a second, there is a report from cbs news while we've been on the air -- this is not confirmed by nbc news, this is cbs news alone -- but what they are reporting in terms of the allegations that are being reviewed, i'm quoting cbs, quote -- include a hostile work environment, excessive drinking on the job, and improperly dispensing meds. again, those are the details. that's cbs news reporting. we have not confirmed it, but this is a fast-moving story tonight. we'll be right back. sneed a hilton getaway means you get more because... you get another day in paradise. get a sunset on a sunday. get more stories to share. get more from your summer getaway with exclusive hilton offers. book yours, only at hilton.com dinner date...meeting his parents dinner date. why did i want a crest 3d white smile? so i used crest. crest 3d white removes... ...95% of surface stains in just 3 days... ...for a whiter smile... that will win them over. crest. healthy,

v.a. hospitals, the veterans and family members and they tell me how much they love the v.a. and how much they wanted to continue, they wanted to be a place where they can go in get the care they need. when you look at that and you talk to the staff -- the staff i see working in v.a. hospitals love our veterans. i know they can go other places in work and make more money, but because they care so much about our veterans and want to get back to our veterans of this country, they are there working on our behalf. when you look at the entire system, put that altogether, it is an amazing task. it is a daunting task. i just wish whoever is in the position can continue to reach out to veterans service organizations and our nation so veterans keep their years in eyes open and keep the right people in place and they get the right people in place. donovan: this is donovan. -- there ask about appears to be a generational divide when it comes to the v.a. and veterans service organizations like the american legion. my understanding is that older veterans are much more inclined to want to

v.a. i can tell you that. thank you. a great friend of mine and a woman who i'm getting records from everybody who is doing well, who is doing -- i always ask, who is doing the best and always right near the top or at the top, linda mcmahon. thank you, linda. great job you're doing. thank you very much. [applause] and bill, senator, senator. stand up, please. [applause] a lot of good congressmen. my friends. a brave one. these guys. they fight for you. they fight for you. you fought for them. they fight for you. that i can tell you. we also want to thank our really amazing -- these are amazing people. the military spouses and families. could the families and spouses please stand up? incredible people. [applause] incredible people. [applause] their love and dedication and support is really the foundation of our military might. we give them a lot of credit, right? so i especially want to thank mike livington and everybody at the wounded warrior project. mike has done an incredible john. he spent 35 years leading soldiers a

v.a. but margaret this is what i will tell you.ry 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 privatize the v.a. do you know what the trump administration policy is? >> of course i do. the

v.a. secretary. two sources telling jeff ben nit and casy hunt that yak sjackson talking with senior white house officialsg his name out and his future can come early tonight or tomorrow. "the washington post" first to report on jackson's thinking saying, quote, jackson has grown frustrated with the nomination process and told colleagues he may remove his name with consideration with deliberations. comes as a summary released today from democrats on the senate veterans affairs committee. new allegations against jackson. involve miss handling like opioids, writing prescription ps for himself and wrecking a government vehicle while intoxicated. today in a brief comment to nbc news, jackson denies the car crash. >> i did not wreck any kind of car, thank you. >> haven't been confirmed. tonight "politico" reports collapsing and the question of the day is not if but when president donald trump pulls the plug on ronny jackson. in the senate no one is predicting that jackson will be confirmed and no republicans stepped up to his defense and the report is cratering. phil rucker agreed to stick around to talk about

tell you? >> i've been talking to you about v.a. controversies for over a decade.tuff to push stormy daniels out of the headline for two days. this is bonkers. this is an agency that's been riddled with chaos and controversy. this is a whole new level. you bring up an important point. these folks haven't come forward yet. the senate, depending on the media and public to vet him. he wasn't vetted by the white house. the senate may not have the resources. the chain of command in the military is different. it's not like the civilian world where folks can say something about their boss and walk out and quick. over the next 24 hours or maybe when we wake up tomorrow morning we'll probably start to see faces on these names if they are substantiated. it's important to note that we don't know that they are, but this is really damaging. it's just constant chaos and tumult in an agency that had four nominations since i came home from iraq. it has to end. it's just over and over again. right now, all that stuff that trump talked on the campaign trail is for not if we have to

v.a. this is what i will tell you. what concerns me very much is washington we in have a family called the koch brothers. third wealthiest family in america. family that is prepared for few other billionaire friends to spend $400 million on the coming election. they are now the most powerful political force in america, the democratic national committee or repubilcan national committee. privatize and privatize. what dr. shulkin who trump just fired this week, has told us, s firing,reason for his he resisted privatization of the veterans administration. with thevery closely major veterans organization, the vfw, vietnam vets a all of the veterans organization. what they say is they want to strengthen the v.a. not dismember it. not privatize it. see what dr. jackson has to say. >> how much trouble do you think admiral jackson will have kimed? >> he's made life and death decisions on the battlefield. he's been in the middle of this war. weeks ago and two at an event in charleston. was coming.ea this we started talking about

v.a. hospitals, and i get to talk to the people who use the va hospital, the family members, they tell us much they love the v.a. and want it to continue, they want it to be a place where they can go and get the care that they need. when you look at that, when you talk to staff also, the staff people i see working in va hospitals love our veterans. i know that they can go other places and work and make more money, but because they care so much about our veterans and wanting to give back to the veterans, they are there working on our behalf. when you look at the entire system, it is an amazing task. it is a daunting task. i just wish whoever is in that position can continue to reach out to organizations in our nation and to keep their years and eyes open and they keep and get the right people in place. today." i just want to ask about -- there appears to be something of the generational divide when it comes to the v.a. and the service organizations like the american legion. my understanding is that older veterans are much more inclined to want to keep the v.a. and younger veterans are much

i mean, i talked to people thatk t the cincinnati v.a., or the dayton v.a., or the community-based clinics in ohio, and they tell you we just want a v.a. that has got a stae management, that does predictable things, instead of this chaos with no end in sight, as dr. jackson continues ndto fl and people keep asking questions that the white house never asked. >> yang: you said the white house never asked. do you have a question about-- concerns about how well thee whuse is vetting some of these nominees? >> well, i'm concerned that they're veth at all. from my observations up close-- i have been in the white house a number of times.ed i've wathem up close. i've seen their nomination process up pretty close-- i mean, i'm not at the white house watching them do the nominations, but what happens is the president has an idea of somebody, usually based on hekeability and loyalty-- loyalty topresident, not necessarily to the people this cabinet agency person might-- person they might serve, like the veterans. ae likes them, he finds them loyal, he says hets to nominate them, and they move without staff saying, "wait a m

i get to talk to the people who use the va hospital, the family members, they tell us how much they love the v.a. and want it to be a place where they can go and get the care that they need. when youlook at that, talk to step also, the staff people i see working in va i know that they can go other places and work in mid-march money, but because they care so much about our veterans and wanting to give back to the veterans, they are working on our behalf. when you look at the eye entire task. it is an amazing wish every physician can reach out to organizations in our nation and to keep their eyes and i've open -- eyes open and hopefully they will get the right people in place. about,st want to ask there appears to be something of the generational divide when it and the the v.a. american legion. my understanding is that older veterans are much more inclined to want to keep the v.a. and younger veterans are much more attractive to going to private sector health care. can you talk about that? because of all the pressure we have out there, a lot of because of that are not comfortable going to the of w

v.a. secretary appears to be in jeopardy. the top democrat on the senate veterans affairs committee tells cnn that dr. known as quote, the candy man for handing out prescription drugs on overseas flights. a source tells cnn that dr. jackson has no plans to step aside even after president trump seemed to suggest that he should. >> so there was a big development overnight. republicans holding on to a house seat in a special election in arizona's eighth district. moments ago congratulating the winner, but what does this win mean for republicans? why are the democrats taking it as good news? let's begin our coverage with cnn's abby phillip live at the white house. good morning. >> reporter: good morning. last night was a big night for the white house, a state dinner. this morning it is back to work and there are troubles ahead for the president's nominee to be the veterans affairs secretary, ronny jackson. the white house is defending jackson but democrats are saying these new allegations about his conduct at the white house while he was a physician raise increasing concerns about his nomination. troublin

v.a. >>> pay to play. mick mulvaney telling a group of bankers he would not talk to will be byists. >> if you can buy what he said at what's happening at the epa across the entire administration, this is a corruption administration that talked about the president, draining the swamp. this administration is the swamp. >>> and french kiss. the french president on the hill today after being wined and dined at the trump's first state dinner. a lot of public displays of affection. >>> with thanks to our friends at the 11th hour who put that together. g good day i'm andrea mitchell. ronnie jackson add mant he will become secretary of affairs. john tester saying that 20 military staffers have now come forward to complain about the president's position. alleging a toxic work environment, drinking on duty, improperly prescribing drugs to staff under president trump and obama. jerry moran tells reporters dr. jackson is denying allegations of a hostile workplace or drinking on the job. despite a broods hiad hint from president giving jack

i can tell you that the last thing i want is to have this nominee held up. the v.a. needs a leader. e's no doubt about that to move forward, to do the job that needs to be done. i can also tell you that there's been 12 nominees that work within the v.a. that have come before our veterans affairs committee, i supported every one of them. this isn't about politics. this is about making sure the person who runs the v.a. is the person that's right for the job. >> senator john tester of montana, you have your work cut out for you. do you think they'll be a public hearing at this point? >> i think -- yeah, high possibility they'll be a public hearing once we get to the bottom of this. that's on chairman isakson's desk. i think johnnie and i both realize that we need some time to find out what the facts are. >> john tester of montana, thanks so much for being with us helping us try to understand what's going on here. it's not easy. >> thank you. >>> all right. a fascinating and welcomed sight outside washington today, the republican congressional baseball team at practice getting ready for

i will tell you, your new head of the v.a. is going to be exceptional. we have some exceptional people who want to do the job. >> i want to go to the u.s. embassy opening up in jerusalem. you said in the past you would like to go -- president trump: they came to me with a proposing with a $1 billion embassy in jerusalem. and mike pence can tell you, the papers were put before you to sign an application for more than $1 billion. i said what are you talking about? they said, yes, sir, $1 billion. and i had my name half signed and i noticed the figure and i never got to the word trump. i had donald signed but never got to the word trump. i called my lawyer, david friedman is the ambassador to israel, loves israel and our country. and i said what's this 1 billion and he said i can bill it for $150,000. the embassy. we have the building and we own the site. i can take the corner of the building and for $150,000, open our embassy instead of 10 years from now, we can open it up in three months. but i said, david, let's not go from $1 billion to $150,000, let's

v.a. xen model is. delayed and i hope you don't. tell us stein is getting international recognition with the help of israel at least in the world of zoos him in bill fails to commission to do it like you know. this isn't my cup of tea is going up the study hall maybe you know john i just hope. the only palestinians who gets the most help from his to roost on counterparts i don't think is and of those ruined on the vision that know only because it is. and that's his office not his job to this lady in the most of the jihad i know if you continue in the doesn't seem to do more among us also some piss off. hello and welcome to crossfire for all things to consider and i'm peter lavelle are the mainstream media playing our roles found in the great russian novel the possessed. voicing dissent against media orthodoxies has never been more dangerous and is peace breaking out on the korean peninsula. across talking media madness i'm joined by my guest mark sloboda he's an international affairs and security analyst and we have dmitri bobbitt she is

v.a. reuters has a source tonight telling them that as of about 15 minutes ago, ronny jackson was seen ine house discussing, quote, whether to withdraw as trump's nominee to head the department of veterans affairs. i can tell you from the live picture the lights are not all off at the white house tonight. hey, you guys, flash the lights if you're watching. that's a live shot. go on. joining us now is leo shane, deputy editor from military times. he covers veterans affairs and the white house. leo, it's really nice to see you. thank you for being here. >> thanks for the invite. >> so, what's your understanding of what's happening now with this nomination and what's likely to happen over the next day or two? >> i'm not sure i can predict a day from now. it seems to be changing minute by minute. look, the white house came out very strong this morning saying they were still behind dr. jackson. they wanted the nomination to go forward. they wanted to see confirmation hearing, but there has also been a lot of pressure from the white house saying senate democrats are behind this. they're making

v.a. secretary. his name hadn't been floated prior to that, and there wasn't a lot of reviewing from what we can tell of his background. the president has a very got rapport with dr. jackson. he believes in him. he spoke about that earlier knead. in terms of his ability to run the v.a. which is a sprawling organization. it's an agency that's had a lot of trouble in the past, that draws -- calls into question his ability to do so. >> the white house says the president wasn't aware of any of these allegations. why was the president not aware of this when he's the president's nominee? >> that's a good question. we were able to review this report and it's really not clear how far up the chain of demand it has gone. whether it was something that the president was able to review before he made the nomination. it's really unclear how long they've known about these allegations in this report. >> garrett, where do things stand on capitol hill? i know you talked to dr. ronny jackson earlier today as he was going from meeting to meeting. he didn't deny the allegations when you asked him about them. >> he didn't

v.a. secretary. all of these moves, sources tell "the washington post" are a reflection of the fact the president wantso call his own shots in this stage of his administration. but some people worry that it means that he is not relying on the people around him who are the experts, who have the expertise in some of these areas. sources have also told cnn that the president is being advised by some people around him that he doesn't even need a communications director now that hope hicks is gone. and that if general john kelly were to leave the white house, he might not need to replace him, in essence, the president could be his own chief of staff. already, we have seen the president relying on his own instincts and relying less on his staff members. there are people who used to be in this white house who are now gone who used to be kind of guardrails around him when it comes to policy and decision making. it remains to be seen what impact that is going to have going forward, especially as we see the president growing more frustrated with his cabinet and more frustrated with the pace of decision making in

v.a.? >> let me tell you first the allegations that we're hearing are very disturbing.nd i'm glad they've put a pause on his confirmation hearings so that they can look more deeply into those. but i want to tell you that i had concerns about dr. ronny jackson's nomination before these revelations because we know that the v.a. is entrusted with the care of 9 million veterans who have served our country and deserve the very best. the v.a. health system has had problems in the past. they have problems that need to be overseen now and worked through. and i feared that dr. jackson didn't have the type of managerial experience needed to oversee such an important but also large entity. and so, you know, when i look at the problems we've seen with the waiting list scandal, with overprescription of narcotics, with variety of issues, we need somebody who is going to lean forward. i've passed bipartisan legislation to include great reforms across the v.a. system. we need to see those fully implemented. and so i had my doubts already and wanted a lot of questions answered before th

v.a. we have great people. joni tell you, what tester did to this man is a disgrace.iral jackson started studying, and he was working so hard. i suggested it to him. you know, war hero, a leader. you know, he is an admiral. a great guy. 50-years-old. and he started studying. and then he started getting hit with vicious rumors, vicious. and the secret service told me, just coming in, sir, we checked out all of those things. sir, they are not true. they are not true. so they tried to destroy a man. they are doing it with us. they are trying their damnedest. i want to thank, by the way, the house intelligence committee. [applause] they do it with us, too. russian collusion. you know? i guarantee you. i am tougher on russia, nobody ever thought -- in fact, have you heard about the lawyer? for a year. a woman lawyer, she said, i know nothing. now all of the sudden, she supposedly is involved with government. you know why? if she did that -- putin and the group said, trump is killing us. why don't you say you are involved with government, so that we can go and make their li

v.a. and the president's unhingsed interview that sources tell cnn had white house aides wincing in response. all of this is against a back drop of an administration that has been, let's say, truth challenged from the very beginning. >> this was the largest audience to ever witness an inauguration period! >> well, that's a lie. period. you think they would have learned by now. but people on team trump just keep getting caught in their own lies they think they can lie and get away with it. why? why wouldn't they? after all, the president does. remember those controversial big raises for two epa employees, raises the white house opposed? here's lawhat epa boss scott pruitt told fox news about that last week. >> i did not know they got the pay raises until yesterday. >> here's what he told congress. >> i was not aware of the amount, nor was i aware of the bypassing or the ppo process not being respected. >> see what just happened there? a cabinet level secretary admitting he did know something about those raises after telling the press he didn't. and they call us fake news somehow. >> and there

accusations but we have, i don't have to tell you this, the second largest government agency, more than 377,000 employees over 9 million veterans who are served by the v.a. every year. are you concerned about a delay? are you concerned about this being dragged out? tell me where you are on this. >> well, that's who really loses in this, are the veterans. i mean, i get my health care through the v.a. there's a lot of important decisions that need to be made, and it appears that the last secretary either resigned or was fired. that was botched. clearly, this was not a fully vetted secretary nomination, and you know, going from managing 50 to 70 folks to managing 370,000 people, i mean, you don't take someone that manages a starbucks and have them then manage starbucks or command a platoon and have them jump up to command at the entire army. so i've got serious concerns about not just the vetting and background, truly the experience this nominee. >> are you concerned right now that if this drags on a while, this will in a very real way affect the health care that those millions of veterans expect every single day? >> well, it certainly delays decision-maki

so i am very proud of what we have done, and i will tell you, the v.a.going to be very exceptional. we have some exceptional people that want to do the job. >> i wanted to backtrack to the u.s. embassy opening in jerusalem. you said in the past you would like to go -- president trump: they came to me, so many said can i tell this story? they came to me with a proposal for a $1 billion embassy. the papers, mike pence can tell you, the papers were put before me to sign an application for more than $1 billion to build an embassy. i said what are you talking about, $1 billion? host embassies are a single story. they said yes or, $1 billion. i had maintained have signed, -- i had my name have signed, and then i saw the figure. i never got to the word trump. i called my ambassador, who is a great lawyer. most business people know david friedman, the ambassador to israel. he loves israel, loves our country, let's is real too. i said what is this $1 billion? he said i can build it for $150,000. for 150i can build it thousand dollars, the embassy. we have a build

v.a. and the president's unhingsed interview that sources tell cnn had white house aides wincing in responsegainst a back drop of an administration that ha

ronny jackson withdrawing as president trump's nominee to head the v.a., white house press secretary sarah huckabee sanders tellingeporters moments ago that admiral jackson is a doctor in the united states navy assigned to the white house and is here at work today. is he going to stay there, though? let's discuss this. we have cnn's chief medical correspondent dr. sanjay gupta joining us from rome. what do you think of ronny jackson's fate here, not just on the v.a. side but on staying on the house side? >> reporter: it's really interesting because i spent some time at the white house during that press briefing that he gave about the president's health and i got to tell you, chris, you talk to everybody within this administration, within previous administration, doctors that i know that have worked with him and everyone had, frankly, have good things to say about him. there was not a hint of this that i heard a month or two, if these things are true and there was dispensing of some of these controlled substances, not in a very ethical way, whatever it may be, that's going to raise a lot of concern, obviously, for

and i will tell you, your new head of the v.a. will be very -- exceptional. we have exceptional people -- >> and i want to backtrack to the u.s. embassy in jerusalem. you said you would like to go -- >> so they came to me -- this is a little bit of our government -- somebody said could i tell this story. and they came to me with a proposal for a $1 billion embassy in jerusalem. and the papers -- mike pence could tell you, the papers were put me bob redell me to sign an application for more than $1 billion and i said what are you talking about a billion dollars. most embassies are like a single story. and they said, yes, sir, $1 billion and i had my name half signed and i noticed the figure and i -- i never got to the word trump. i had donald signed but never got to the word trump. and i called my ambassador who is a great lawyer, most people in business know david freedman, the ambassador to israel. and he loves israel. loves our country and loves israel too. and i said, what is this $1 billion. he said i can build it for $150,000. i said, what? he said i cou

v.a. the ranking democrat on the senate veterans affairs committee tells cnn 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 smas

up dying from it so we're going to win i'm very proud of what we've done and i will tell you your new head of the v.a. is going to be very exceptional we have some exceptional people that want to do the job before get the chancellor merkel i wanted to backtrack to the u.s. embassy opening up in jerusalem you said in the past that you would like to go so they came to me this is a little bit of a governor somebody said could i tell this story and they came to me with a proposal for a one billion dollar embassy injures and the papers mike pence can tell you the papers were put before me to sign an application for more than one billion dollars to build an embassy is there what are you talking about a billion dollars you know most embassies are like a single story and they said yes or it's one billion dollars and i had my name half cent and i noticed the figure and i just didn't i never got to the word trump i had donald signed but i never got to the workshop. and i called my ambassador who is a great lawyer. most people in business know david friedman he's the best hitter to israel and loves israel loves

so we're going to we're i'm very proud of what we've done and i will tell you your new head of the v.a. is going to be very exceptional we have some exceptional people that want to do the job before i get a chance for merkel i wanted to backtrack to the u.s. embassy opening up in jerusalem you said in the past that you would like to go so they came to me this is a little bit of a governor somebody said could i tell this story and they came to me with a proposal for a one billion dollar embassy in jerusalem and the papers mike pence can tell you the papers were put before me to sign an application for more than one billion dollars to build an embassy i said what are you talking about a billion dollars you know most embassies are like a single story and they said yes sir it's one billion dollars and i had my name half cent then i noticed the figure and i just didn't i never got to the word trump i had donald signed but i never got to the workshop and i called my ambassador who is a great lawyer most people in business know david friedman he's the best sitter to israel and loves israel lo

but, let me tell you what is most significant is what he will do as the v.a. chairman. the last three had extraordinary background, but they all failed to change the culture of incompetence. bureaucratic incompetence at the department of veterans affairs. the question is can he be as a marine corps combat veteran can he be marine corps tough in cleaning house in the v.a.? we -- in 2014, we gave the authority to the department of veterans affairs to the secretary to remove without all the civil service protections senior v.a. bureaucrats, mcdonald, secretary mcdonald never used that authority. secretary shulkin never used that authority. will he go in there and program run by senior bureaucrats that year after year have had documented failures and just clean house? that's what we need. >> harris: you know, have you had a talk with him? i was speaking with people yesterday, one of them from kansas, senator jerry more ran who was saying that he had just met with ronny jackson? is that something you are doing. >> something i have asked to do i know i'm a house member and hi

v.a. secretary david shulkin is not the only person that president trump has fired without telling them toace. james comey learned about his ouster while in los angeles. and television screens in the background began flashing the news no the reports that mr. comey laughed saying that he thought that it was a fairly funny prank. nbc news reports that trump was angry that comey used a government plane to return back home to washington. and he fired reince priebus on a plane. and hours after returning from an overseas trip there was another firing of rex tiller will willson. and we all remember from "the apprentice" when he would look over and say "you're fired" and we with are hearing that they are fired. >> and he is not even able to do it to their faces, but by phone call, and leaves it to john kelly. so the impression is that he wants the be like and doesn't want to be the bad guy or do the dirty work. and that doesn't make sense, because nobody wants to be fired through a tweet. this is a ton of ink and air time, and the vast number of exits are going to get a vast amount of publicity an

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 blowers but it was serious enough two leaders of the committee took a dramatic move to relay his wednesday confirmation hearing and they're saying it is unclear when they'll be rez -- rescheduled. >> everybody in congress needs to take a deep breath and give him a chance to be heard and give us a chance to ask the questions. >> i don't have enough information to say this isn't true or this is true, we're continuing the vetting process and we'll get to the bottom of everything. >> the white house has been consistently and obismal

what can you tell us about the hold up with dr. jackson's nominee to head up the v.a.? >> chairman isaacson had a phone conversation with a lot of us are on the committee, indicated that there had been some unsubstantiated allegations made, he wants to do it right. we told him that if he wanted to delay the meeting, that was fine with us. we most certainly want to get on the fax out, have to do our due diligence. personally i had a meeting in my office with the admirable. admiral. we have to do our due diligence. >> shannon: this has been such a fraught agency and department with plenty of bipartisan agreement that there has to be better answers for our veterans. >> no question. 360,000 individuals, the question is, are they going to run the secretary or the secretary going to run them? in this case, we want to make sure we got the right person for the job and this should be focused on what the veterans need. this is what we want to do. focusing back on what our veterans need come about their care conditions are and so fort. get it away from the v.a. and back focusing o

v.a. faces new allegations accused of crashing a car while drunk and dishing out opioids. how he's fighting back. >>> plus, what epa boss scott pruitt is preparing to tell congress today amid a flurry of ethics scandals. >>> health alert. some common drugs including some antidepressants now blamed for increasing the risk for dementia. the message from doctors. >>> plus, the moment a football player paralyzed during a game walked his wife down the aisle. >>> the surprising discovery about giant sloths that once roamed the earth with humans. >>> a good thursday morning, everyone. we begin with the suspected serial killer in custody this morning after a manhunt spanning more than 40 years. >> investigators looking for the so-called golden state killer say dna evidence led them to this man, joseph deangelo, a sacramento area grandfather accused of a statewide crime spree that included at least 12 murders and dozens of rapes. >> investigators believe deangelo in this photo second from the left with the mustache may have committed some of his crimes while working as a police officer in the '70s. the fbi spent the night gathering evidence from joseph deangelo'

tell you there is a lot of frustration in congress. if you look at what we have done with the budgets going into the v.a. over the last two years they have gone up quite a bit. ,but the output has not gone up commiserate with the increased money. there is a lot of frustration. we keep trying to make reforms. we keep putting more money into it and yet we are still not serving the veterans the way they should be served. that is why i add the characteristic of you have to be willing to shake things up. congress has to be willing to work with the secretary in order to shake things up. susan: on to defense spending and policies. megan: some things that stood out to me a couple of key words. issues that jumped out on the screen to me were cyber-based. information security, missile-defense. i'm curious your thoughts on how that aligns with the pentagon pentagon'siority -- own priority as they align this year. rep. thornberry: they are closely aligned. the key feature of the new national defense strategy is we going to have to pay greater attention and put greater emphasis on near peer competitors. , and have be

telling him, he will fight for him. here's abc's mary bruce. >> reporter: dogged by allegations of professional misconduct, tonight, the president's pick to lead the v.a. under intense scrutiny. is there any truth to these allegations? will you withdraw your nomination? admiral ronny jackson's confirmation hearing now on hold, as the senate reviews allegations he created a hostile work environment, and as white house physician, improperly dispensed medication, specifically the sleep aid ambien. the top democrat on the committee says jackson is also accused of being repeatedly drunk on duty when traveling with the president, though he didn't provide any evidence. on capitol hill today, jackson insisted he's eager to answer the committee's questions. >> i'm looking forward to re-scheduling the hearing and getting the process moving. >> reporter: just moments later, the president asked what he knows. >> well, i haven't heard of the particular allegations. but i will tell you, he's one of the finest people that i have met. i would definitely stand behind him. he's a fine man. >> reporter: the president blamed partisan politics. but then, added this nudge