On Wednesday night, CNN continued its unholy and fact-devoid crusade to tar and feather every one of President Trump’s new high-profile government hires as nothing more than a clueless Trump stooge off the street or a Fox News personality. This time, their unfortunate target was Navy Rear Admiral Dr. Ronny Jackson upon being nominated by thr President to be the new Secretary of the Department for Veteran’s Affairs. And while they were ripping him for supposedly being unqualified, at no point did they mention his military career.
CNN Tonight host Don Lemon led the stacked liberal panel in their attack on Dr. Jackson by first mocking his report to the media about the President’s good health and suggested he brown-nosed his way to the offer. “He just missed the Olympics, my goodness,” he and the panel laughed at the glowing review. “And just last month, Ryan, President Trump talked about Dr. Jackson as being from central casting like a Hollywood star. Was that stellar review Dr. Jackson’s golden ticket to becoming VA secretary.”
“I mean, what are his qualifications to run the second largest agency in government,” Lemon asked with disgust. The fact that Dr. Jackson was both a flag officer in the most powerful Navy on the planet and a doctor apparently weren’t good enough qualifications to run the department in charge of healthcare for veterans, according to Lemon.
It’s not the first time Lemon has leveled smears against Dr. Jackson. Back on January 16, Lemon cast doubt on the Doctor’s medical report regarding the President and declared himself a “girther” because thought the Trump was fatter than the report said.
CNN political analyst Ryan Lizza, teed up by Lemon, unloaded on Jackson for being just someone who goes on TV to defend Trump from the press and make him feel good. “This was just a case study in how Trump chooses personnel to run the government. We’ve now seen it with four different people,” he asserted. “What do they all have in common? They all have excelled at going on TV and defending Trump in the most over the top way and flattering his ego.”
Dr. Jackson was also a holdover from the Obama administration and his colleagues from that time were praising the announcement. But Lizza wrote off their praising, chiding, “but if you look at the people who know about the VA and the challenges, I haven't seen anyone tonight who say this is the top qualified person to run that organization.”
“Is the selection of Dr. Jackson a living embodiment of Trump’s number one priority, which is loyalty or maybe working for Fox News,” Lemon spat in a question to CNN counterterrorism analyst and verbal bomb thrower Philip Mudd.
“These appointments, I think, reflect the President's priority on loyalty regardless of your qualifications,” Mudd agreed. “Loyalty is above your qualifications for the job in most circumstances. Few exceptions, secretary of defense, but by and large, I think loyalty trumps.”
These baseless smears from CNN come a day after a show on their sister network, HLN, lambasted news outlets like CNN who went out of their way to cry about Trump’s appointments not being qualified when they actually had very thick resumes. The panel courageously called out this kind of nonsense as just naked anti-Trumpism, which it is. So much for an apple being an apple. This is CNN.
Transcript below, click expand to read:
CNN Tonight
March 28, 2018
10:05:18 PM Eastern(…)
DON LEMON: So Ryan, Dr. Ronny Jackson made a name for himself earlier this year, remember when he gave the President that glowing bill of health? Watch this.
DR. RONNY JACKSON: He had great findings across the board, but the one that stands out more than anything to me is his cardiac health. [Flash] He is in the excellent range from a cardiac standpoint. And that’s not me speaking, that's objective data. [Flash] He has a lot of energy, a lot of energy and a lot of stamina. [Flash] It's called genetics, I don't know. Some people have just great genes. [Flash] The President he's very sharp and he's very articulate when he speaks to me. [Flash] Just my day to day interactions with the President. The President mentally is very sharp, very intact. [Flash] I think he will remain fit for duty for the remainder of this term and even for the remainder of another term if he’s elected.
LEMON: He just missed the Olympics, my goodness.
[Laughter]
And just last month, Ryan, President Trump talked about Dr. Jackson as being from central casting like a Hollywood star. Was that stellar review Dr. Jackson’s golden ticket to becoming VA secretary. I mean, what are his qualifications to run the second largest agency in government?
RYAN LIZZA: I mean, this was just a case study in how Trump chooses personnel to run the government. We’ve now seen it with four different people. Right? If you look at Bolton, if you look at diGenova who didn’t work out in the end as a lawyer. If you look at Larry Kudlow and now with the White House physician here getting a big promotion, what do they all have in common? They all have excelled at going on TV and defending Trump in the most over the top way and flattering his ego.
I mean, there's just a tried and true formula if you want to work at the top levels in this government. And as you pointed out, Don, the VA has enormous challenges, it's almost 400,000 employees. It's in the middle of a very fierce policy debate about privatizing some of the VA services, and has some real chaotic management issues. And frankly, it doesn't seem like Donald Trump went out as a sort of headhunter recruiter might, and look for someone to fit the -- you know, to match the institution and the problems that it has.
This gentleman. If you look at some of the Twitter feeds of Obama officials who worked in the White House, enormous amount of positive reactions about this person personally, but if you look at the people who know about the VA and the challenges, I haven't seen anyone tonight who say this is the top qualified person to run that organization.
LEMON: Just last month, Phil, there was the Axios report that Trump was considering his personal pilot to run the FAA. Remember that? Is the selection of Dr. Jackson a living embodiment of Trump’s number one priority, which is loyalty or maybe working for Fox News?
PHILIP MUDD: Look, I think it is, let me give you an example. The President has repeatedly talked about his interest in having subordinates who would fight in front of him. He says he likes conflict, he likes chaos. But look at the people who have differed with him. The attorney general who recuses himself from the Russia investigation. President didn’t like that one. The deputy attorney general who appoints a special counsel. President didn’t like that one. Secretary of state who says something different about North Korea than the president gets fired while he's on the john.
I mean, you get the chief of staff, who's obviously noted in the Republican party. I guess he wasn't liked by the president because he brought in bad news. The point I'm making is, these appointments, I think, reflect the President's priority on loyalty regardless of your qualifications. Look at Ben Carson, what the heck is he doing at Housing and Urban Development, he was a neurosurgeon. Loyalty is above your qualifications for the job in most circumstances. Few exceptions, secretary of defense, but by and large, I think loyalty trumps.
(…)
