President Donald Trump said that his next nominee for Secretary of Veterans Affairs would have political experience after White House physician Ronny Jackson withdrew his name from consideration.
Trump appeared saddened that Jackson was smeared by Democrats, causing him to withdraw.
“He would have done a great job, tremendous heart,” Trump said, referring to Jackson in a phone interview on Fox and Friends on Thursday morning.
The president said that his next nominee would be “somebody with political capability” although he said he liked Jackson because he was not a politician and a “real leader.”
“By the way, welcome to Washington, welcome to the swamp, welcome to the world of politics,” Trump said.
He criticized Montana Sen. Jon Tester for releasing a memo of unproven allegations against Jackson, smearing his reputation for the committee.
“I think Jon Tester has to have a big price to pay in Montana,” Trump said, referring to Tester’s 2018 re-election campaign.