"They try to destroy a man."
Moments ago, President @realDonaldTrump discussed @jontester and Dr. Ronny Jackson. pic.twitter.com/VdSuOjNsPB
— Fox News (@FoxNews) April 28, 2018
President Trump went after Sen. Jon Tester (D-Mont.) again on Saturday during a rally in Michigan, slamming Tester for pushing allegations against Ronny Jackson, Trump’s former nominee to lead the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).
“Tester started throwing out things that he’s heard. Well I know things about Tester that I could say too,” Trump threatened. “And if I said them, he’d never be elected again.”
Tester’s staff reportedly compiled claims made by more than 20 people familiar with Jackson’s leadership at the White House Medical Unit.
{mosads}
“What Jon Tester did to this man is a disgrace,” Trump said at the Michigan rally.
The report alleged Jackson “wrecked” a government vehicle after being intoxicated at a Secret Service going-away party.
Another claim said that during an overseas trip in 2015 he drunkenly banged on the hotel room door of a female employee so loudly that the Secret Service intervened to prevent him from waking former President Obama.
Trump brushed off the allegations during the Saturday rally as nothing more than “vicious rumors” meant to “destroy a man.”
The White House and Secret Service issued statements saying that they found no evidence the two alleged drunken incidents occurred.
Trump attacked Tester throughout the day, calling on him to resign in a set of morning tweets.
Trump lashed out again against Tester later in the afternoon, saying his statements were “very dishonest and sick!”
Trump and Tester sparred earlier this week when the president said the senator would pay a steep political price for his takedown of Jackson. Still, Tester maintains that his concerns about Jackson were “not political.”
“It’s not political. I’m focused on making sure we have the best person possible to run the VA. It’s a very, very important agency,” Tester told reporters.
Jackson withdrew his nomination Thursday amid the scandal but has denied the allegations against him.