{"id":38691,"date":"2018-04-25T15:15:57","date_gmt":"2018-04-25T15:15:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/uncategorized\/2018\/04\/25\/trumps-ronny-jackson-disaster-will-make-fixing-the-va-a-lot-harder\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T03:09:40","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T03:09:40","slug":"trumps-ronny-jackson-disaster-will-make-fixing-the-va-a-lot-harder","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/veterans\/2018\/04\/25\/trumps-ronny-jackson-disaster-will-make-fixing-the-va-a-lot-harder\/","title":{"rendered":"Trump\u2019s Ronny Jackson disaster will make fixing the VA a lot harder"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">WASHINGTON \u2014 The controversies surrounding <a href=\"https:\/\/www.militarytimes.com\/veterans\/2018\/04\/24\/trump-suggests-jackson-may-drop-out-of-va-secretary-confirmation-process\/\" title=\"\" class=\"\" target=\"_blank\">President Donald Trump\u2019s pick to take over the Department of Veterans Affairs<\/a> have not only thrown the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.militarytimes.com\/veterans\/2018\/04\/24\/va-secretary-nomination-in-doubt-as-allegations-of-misbehavior-emerge\/\" title=\"\" class=\"\" target=\"_blank\">agency\u2019s leadership into disarray<\/a> but also threaten to undo years of work by previous officials to try and rehabilitate the massive bureaucracy\u2019s public image.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And unlike past scandals, the negative attention surrounding this one has little to do with the department\u2019s operations or outreach to veterans.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">This week, Senate officials postponed the confirmation hearing of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.militarytimes.com\/veterans\/2018\/03\/28\/trumps-surprise-pick-for-the-next-va-secretary-raises-questions\/\" title=\"\" class=\"selected-link\" target=\"_blank\">Rear Adm. Ronny Jackson<\/a> to become the next VA secretary amid allegations of leadership failures, on-the-job drinking and employee harassment while serving as White House physician and in that medical office.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Jackson has denied the allegations, and Trump has said he will stand by the 23-year naval officer if he decides to remain in the confirmation process.<\/p>\n\n\n\t<aside class=\"smg-interstitial-link wp-block-smg-interstitial-link\">\n\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/veterans\/2018\/04\/02\/white-house-doctor-could-face-the-most-contentious-va-confirmation-process-ever\/\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" src=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP_18092588799359.jpg.jpg?w=300\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__image wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" \/>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__content\">\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"smg-interstitial-link__kicker\">Related<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"smg-interstitial-link__title\">White House doctor could face the most contentious VA confirmation process ever<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"smg-interstitial-link__excerpt\">No VA Secretary pick has ever received an opposition vote in the Senate. Will Dr. Ronny Jackson become the first?<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/aside>\n\t\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But Trump also said at a news conference on Tuesday that he wouldn\u2019t go through the process for the Cabinet post \u2014 calling it a \u201ctoo ugly and too disgusting\u201d political gauntlet \u2014 and said the department is so large that \u201cnobody has the experience\u201d to be ready to run it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Those comments run contrary to advocates\u2019 message that VA is not a behemoth that cannot be controlled, but instead a sprawling federal system in need of stable leadership to repair problems and modernize the aging infrastructure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Since 2014, when then-VA Secretary Eric Shinseki was forced to resign following a department-wide scandal involving forged medical appointment wait times, department administrators and lawmakers have worked to balance their reform agendas with public relations duties.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In their view, a large part of fixing the department included restoring public trust in the institution. Roughly 9 million veterans rely on the VA medical system for health care, and millions more veterans and dependents receive critical benefits support every month. Supporters argue that while the system has shortcomings, too often they are emphasized over the public service of the 375,000-plus employees in the system.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Shinseki\u2019s replacement, VA Secretary Bob McDonald, and his top deputy, Sloan Gibson, made that idea key talking point in nearly every public appearance after McDonald took office in August 2014.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Part of McDonald\u2019s standard stump speech included listing a host of medical innovations spearheaded by VA researchers, including the cardiac pacemaker and nicotine patch.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1200\" height=\"809\" src=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP_245829223377.jpg.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-73281\" srcset=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP_245829223377.jpg.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP_245829223377.jpg.jpg?resize=300,202 300w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP_245829223377.jpg.jpg?resize=768,518 768w, https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP_245829223377.jpg.jpg?resize=1024,690 1024w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary Robert McDonald, left, answers questions from health care workers, veterans, and the public during an open Town Hall meeting in Jackson, Miss., on Feb. 5, 2016.  (Rogelio V. Solis\/AP)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Their successor, VA Secretary David Shulkin, also made that theme a recurring part of his tenure, even as President Donald Trump repeatedly called the department a \u201cdisaster.\u201d Shulkin often referred to VA as a system that needed to be reformed to live up to the promises owed to the country\u2019s veterans.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In a New York Times editorial the day after he was fired by Trump last month, Shulkin wrote that \u201cI believe strongly in the mission of the Department of Veterans Affairs, and nothing about my political experience in Washington could ever change that.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Part of the push by McDonald and Shulkin was pragmatic. Both men acknowledged that VA has had difficulty recruiting and retaining workers in recent years because of a public perception of trouble within the department, even as VA administrators insisted that veterans\u2019 satisfaction with services was on the rise.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And part of the push has to do with funding. While the department\u2019s budget has risen steadily over the last two decades \u2014 nearly quadrupling from 2001 to next year\u2019s nearly $200 billion fiscal 2019 proposal \u2014 it has also increasingly come under attack from lawmakers who question whether the money is simply propping up a failing health care system.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Now, Jackson\u2019s damaged candidacy to take over VA\u2019s top job threatens to add to that damaged image, even though his scandal appears to stem from background vetting issues in the White House and no actual VA programming.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cNo matter whether these allegations against Dr. Jackson prove true or false, whether they continue to delay his confirmation indefinitely or sink it altogether, it\u2019s the latest in a chain of unforced errors for which veterans are continuing to pay the price,\u201d AMVETS National Executive Director Joe Chenelly said in a statement Tuesday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cVeterans are losing six different ways right now, from all directions, and it\u2019s discouragingly unclear why this keeps happening.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Officials at the American Legion called VA \u201ca physical reminder of our nation\u2019s promises to care for those who return from war injured or ill\u201d and noted significant progress in recent years (both under Trump and former President Barack Obama) in reforming the department.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWhile the VA is the nation\u2019s second largest bureaucracy \u2026 we believe it is entirely manageable and effective when staffed with motivated, experienced, and competent people,\u201d American Legion National Commander Denise Rohan said. \u201cOur veterans deserve a properly led, efficient, and transparent VA that delivers on the American people\u2019s promises.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In a CNN interview Tuesday night, Senate Veterans\u2019 Affairs Committee ranking member Jon Tester, D-Mont., said VA has \u201ca morale problem\u201d due to the negative press of recent years, and he worries that Jackson\u2019s embattled nomination will only compound that issue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">He said he hopes to find resolution to the issue soon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWe have to get the best person we possibly can in the VA to take care of our veterans,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s an obligation that we made to the people who signed up and served in this military.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The department, already dealing with years of negative attention, is now embroiled in a leadership scandal that again threatens its reputation.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":73279,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-noindex":"","_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-nofollow":"","_yoast_wpseo_canonical":"","_acf":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_category":19,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","_smg_distribution_targets":[]},"categories":[101,12,26,19],"tags":[],"coauthors":[3222],"class_list":["post-38691","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-daily-news-roundup","category-news","category-newsletters","category-veterans"],"acf":{"subheadline":"","legacy_arc_id":"XSBNOUCOZNEKDPQWPAL3EFTSQM","arc_canonical_url":"\/veterans\/2018\/04\/25\/trumps-ronny-jackson-disaster-will-make-fixing-the-va-a-lot-harder\/","remove_feature_photo":false,"is_sponsored":false,"subtype":"","redirect_url":"","disable_inline_ads":false,"native_logo_pretext":"Presented By:"},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v26.0 (Yoast SEO v28.1) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Trump\u2019s Ronny Jackson disaster will make fixing the VA a lot harder - Navy Times<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The department, already dealing with years of negative attention, is now embroiled in a leadership scandal that again threatens its reputation.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"noindex, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Trump\u2019s Ronny Jackson disaster will make fixing the VA a lot harder\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The department, already dealing with years of negative attention, is now embroiled in a leadership scandal that again threatens its reputation.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/veterans\/2018\/04\/25\/trumps-ronny-jackson-disaster-will-make-fixing-the-va-a-lot-harder\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Navy Times\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2018-04-25T15:15:57+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-08-08T03:09:40+00:00\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Leo Shane III\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Leo Shane III\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"5 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\n\t    \"@context\": \"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\n\t    \"@graph\": [\n\t        {\n\t            \"@type\": \"Article\",\n\t            \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/navytimes\\\/veterans\\\/2018\\\/04\\\/25\\\/trumps-ronny-jackson-disaster-will-make-fixing-the-va-a-lot-harder\\\/#article\",\n\t            \"isPartOf\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/navytimes\\\/veterans\\\/2018\\\/04\\\/25\\\/trumps-ronny-jackson-disaster-will-make-fixing-the-va-a-lot-harder\\\/\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"author\": {\n\t                \"name\": \"migration\",\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/navytimes\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/cc76c831bb37a926738c8391fca7a3b1\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"headline\": \"Trump\u2019s Ronny Jackson disaster will make fixing the VA a lot harder\",\n\t            \"datePublished\": \"2018-04-25T15:15:57+00:00\",\n\t            \"dateModified\": \"2026-08-08T03:09:40+00:00\",\n\t            \"mainEntityOfPage\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/navytimes\\\/veterans\\\/2018\\\/04\\\/25\\\/trumps-ronny-jackson-disaster-will-make-fixing-the-va-a-lot-harder\\\/\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"wordCount\": 926,\n\t            \"commentCount\": 0,\n\t            \"publisher\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/navytimes\\\/#organization\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"image\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/navytimes\\\/veterans\\\/2018\\\/04\\\/25\\\/trumps-ronny-jackson-disaster-will-make-fixing-the-va-a-lot-harder\\\/#primaryimage\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"thumbnailUrl\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/08\\\/AP18114777526986.jpg.jpg\",\n\t            \"articleSection\": [\n\t                \"Daily News Roundup\",\n\t                \"News\",\n\t                \"Newsletters\",\n\t                \"Veterans\"\n\t            ],\n\t            \"inLanguage\": \"en-US\",\n\t            \"potentialAction\": [\n\t                {\n\t                    \"@type\": \"CommentAction\",\n\t                    \"name\": \"Comment\",\n\t                    \"target\": [\n\t                        \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/navytimes\\\/veterans\\\/2018\\\/04\\\/25\\\/trumps-ronny-jackson-disaster-will-make-fixing-the-va-a-lot-harder\\\/#respond\"\n\t                    ]\n\t                }\n\t            ]\n\t        },\n\t        {\n\t            \"@type\": \"WebPage\",\n\t            \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/navytimes\\\/veterans\\\/2018\\\/04\\\/25\\\/trumps-ronny-jackson-disaster-will-make-fixing-the-va-a-lot-harder\\\/\",\n\t            \"url\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/navytimes\\\/veterans\\\/2018\\\/04\\\/25\\\/trumps-ronny-jackson-disaster-will-make-fixing-the-va-a-lot-harder\\\/\",\n\t            \"name\": \"Trump\u2019s Ronny Jackson disaster will make fixing the VA a lot harder - Navy Times\",\n\t            \"isPartOf\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/navytimes\\\/#website\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"primaryImageOfPage\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/navytimes\\\/veterans\\\/2018\\\/04\\\/25\\\/trumps-ronny-jackson-disaster-will-make-fixing-the-va-a-lot-harder\\\/#primaryimage\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"image\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/navytimes\\\/veterans\\\/2018\\\/04\\\/25\\\/trumps-ronny-jackson-disaster-will-make-fixing-the-va-a-lot-harder\\\/#primaryimage\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"thumbnailUrl\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/08\\\/AP18114777526986.jpg.jpg\",\n\t            \"datePublished\": \"2018-04-25T15:15:57+00:00\",\n\t            \"dateModified\": \"2026-08-08T03:09:40+00:00\",\n\t            \"description\": \"The department, already dealing with years of negative attention, is now embroiled in a leadership scandal that again threatens its reputation.\",\n\t            \"breadcrumb\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/navytimes\\\/veterans\\\/2018\\\/04\\\/25\\\/trumps-ronny-jackson-disaster-will-make-fixing-the-va-a-lot-harder\\\/#breadcrumb\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"inLanguage\": \"en-US\",\n\t            \"potentialAction\": [\n\t                {\n\t                    \"@type\": \"ReadAction\",\n\t                    \"target\": [\n\t                        \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/navytimes\\\/veterans\\\/2018\\\/04\\\/25\\\/trumps-ronny-jackson-disaster-will-make-fixing-the-va-a-lot-harder\\\/\"\n\t                    ]\n\t                }\n\t            ]\n\t        },\n\t        {\n\t            \"@type\": \"ImageObject\",\n\t            \"inLanguage\": \"en-US\",\n\t            \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/navytimes\\\/veterans\\\/2018\\\/04\\\/25\\\/trumps-ronny-jackson-disaster-will-make-fixing-the-va-a-lot-harder\\\/#primaryimage\",\n\t            \"url\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/08\\\/AP18114777526986.jpg.jpg\",\n\t            \"contentUrl\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/08\\\/AP18114777526986.jpg.jpg\"\n\t        },\n\t        {\n\t            \"@type\": \"BreadcrumbList\",\n\t            \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/navytimes\\\/veterans\\\/2018\\\/04\\\/25\\\/trumps-ronny-jackson-disaster-will-make-fixing-the-va-a-lot-harder\\\/#breadcrumb\",\n\t            \"itemListElement\": [\n\t                {\n\t                    \"@type\": \"ListItem\",\n\t                    \"position\": 1,\n\t                    \"name\": \"Home\",\n\t                    \"item\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/navytimes\\\/\",\n\t                    \"ad_zone\": \"home\"\n\t                },\n\t                {\n\t                    \"@type\": \"ListItem\",\n\t                    \"position\": 2,\n\t                    \"name\": \"Veterans\",\n\t                    \"item\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/navytimes\\\/veterans\\\/\",\n\t                    \"ad_zone\": \"veterans\"\n\t                },\n\t                {\n\t                    \"@type\": \"ListItem\",\n\t                    \"position\": 3,\n\t                    \"name\": \"Trump\u2019s Ronny Jackson disaster will make fixing the VA a lot harder\"\n\t                }\n\t            ]\n\t        },\n\t        {\n\t            \"@type\": \"WebSite\",\n\t            \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/navytimes\\\/#website\",\n\t            \"url\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/navytimes\\\/\",\n\t            \"name\": \"Navy Times\",\n\t            \"description\": \"Independent News For Sailors | Navy Times\",\n\t            \"publisher\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/navytimes\\\/#organization\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"potentialAction\": [\n\t                {\n\t                    \"@type\": \"SearchAction\",\n\t                    \"target\": {\n\t                        \"@type\": \"EntryPoint\",\n\t                        \"urlTemplate\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/navytimes\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"\n\t                    },\n\t                    \"query-input\": {\n\t                        \"@type\": \"PropertyValueSpecification\",\n\t                        \"valueRequired\": true,\n\t                        \"valueName\": \"search_term_string\"\n\t                    }\n\t                }\n\t            ],\n\t            \"inLanguage\": \"en-US\"\n\t        },\n\t        {\n\t            \"@type\": \"Organization\",\n\t            \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/navytimes\\\/#organization\",\n\t            \"name\": \"Navy Times\",\n\t            \"url\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/navytimes\\\/\",\n\t            \"logo\": {\n\t                \"@type\": \"ImageObject\",\n\t                \"inLanguage\": \"en-US\",\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/navytimes\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\",\n\t                \"url\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/06\\\/navy-logo-white.png\",\n\t                \"contentUrl\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/2026\\\/06\\\/navy-logo-white.png\",\n\t                \"caption\": \"Navy Times\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"image\": {\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/navytimes\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/logo\\\/image\\\/\"\n\t            }\n\t        },\n\t        {\n\t            \"@type\": \"Person\",\n\t            \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/navytimes\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/cc76c831bb37a926738c8391fca7a3b1\",\n\t            \"name\": \"migration\",\n\t            \"image\": {\n\t                \"@type\": \"ImageObject\",\n\t                \"inLanguage\": \"en-US\",\n\t                \"@id\": \"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/9e8d47be443ce94ce7fc357677b5f9c70235bb1f59e7267a102a74af58c04f59?s=96&d=mm&r=gcf4cb6ee0ec29e49e7a963234e4340ec\",\n\t                \"url\": \"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/9e8d47be443ce94ce7fc357677b5f9c70235bb1f59e7267a102a74af58c04f59?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\n\t                \"contentUrl\": \"https:\\\/\\\/secure.gravatar.com\\\/avatar\\\/9e8d47be443ce94ce7fc357677b5f9c70235bb1f59e7267a102a74af58c04f59?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\n\t                \"caption\": \"migration\"\n\t            },\n\t            \"url\": \"https:\\\/\\\/one.sightlinemg.com\\\/navytimes\\\/author\\\/migration\\\/\"\n\t        }\n\t    ]\n\t}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Trump\u2019s Ronny Jackson disaster will make fixing the VA a lot harder - Navy Times","description":"The department, already dealing with years of negative attention, is now embroiled in a leadership scandal that again threatens its reputation.","robots":{"index":"noindex","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Trump\u2019s Ronny Jackson disaster will make fixing the VA a lot harder","og_description":"The department, already dealing with years of negative attention, is now embroiled in a leadership scandal that again threatens its reputation.","og_url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/veterans\/2018\/04\/25\/trumps-ronny-jackson-disaster-will-make-fixing-the-va-a-lot-harder\/","og_site_name":"Navy Times","article_published_time":"2018-04-25T15:15:57+00:00","article_modified_time":"2026-08-08T03:09:40+00:00","author":"Leo Shane III","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Leo Shane III","Est. reading time":"5 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/veterans\/2018\/04\/25\/trumps-ronny-jackson-disaster-will-make-fixing-the-va-a-lot-harder\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/veterans\/2018\/04\/25\/trumps-ronny-jackson-disaster-will-make-fixing-the-va-a-lot-harder\/"},"author":{"name":"migration","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/#\/schema\/person\/cc76c831bb37a926738c8391fca7a3b1"},"headline":"Trump\u2019s Ronny Jackson disaster will make fixing the VA a lot harder","datePublished":"2018-04-25T15:15:57+00:00","dateModified":"2026-08-08T03:09:40+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/veterans\/2018\/04\/25\/trumps-ronny-jackson-disaster-will-make-fixing-the-va-a-lot-harder\/"},"wordCount":926,"commentCount":0,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/veterans\/2018\/04\/25\/trumps-ronny-jackson-disaster-will-make-fixing-the-va-a-lot-harder\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP18114777526986.jpg.jpg","articleSection":["Daily News Roundup","News","Newsletters","Veterans"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/veterans\/2018\/04\/25\/trumps-ronny-jackson-disaster-will-make-fixing-the-va-a-lot-harder\/#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/veterans\/2018\/04\/25\/trumps-ronny-jackson-disaster-will-make-fixing-the-va-a-lot-harder\/","url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/veterans\/2018\/04\/25\/trumps-ronny-jackson-disaster-will-make-fixing-the-va-a-lot-harder\/","name":"Trump\u2019s Ronny Jackson disaster will make fixing the VA a lot harder - Navy Times","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/veterans\/2018\/04\/25\/trumps-ronny-jackson-disaster-will-make-fixing-the-va-a-lot-harder\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/veterans\/2018\/04\/25\/trumps-ronny-jackson-disaster-will-make-fixing-the-va-a-lot-harder\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP18114777526986.jpg.jpg","datePublished":"2018-04-25T15:15:57+00:00","dateModified":"2026-08-08T03:09:40+00:00","description":"The department, already dealing with years of negative attention, is now embroiled in a leadership scandal that again threatens its reputation.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/veterans\/2018\/04\/25\/trumps-ronny-jackson-disaster-will-make-fixing-the-va-a-lot-harder\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/veterans\/2018\/04\/25\/trumps-ronny-jackson-disaster-will-make-fixing-the-va-a-lot-harder\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/veterans\/2018\/04\/25\/trumps-ronny-jackson-disaster-will-make-fixing-the-va-a-lot-harder\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP18114777526986.jpg.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP18114777526986.jpg.jpg"},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/veterans\/2018\/04\/25\/trumps-ronny-jackson-disaster-will-make-fixing-the-va-a-lot-harder\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/","ad_zone":"home"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Veterans","item":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/veterans\/","ad_zone":"veterans"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"Trump\u2019s Ronny Jackson disaster will make fixing the VA a lot harder"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/#website","url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/","name":"Navy Times","description":"Independent News For Sailors | Navy Times","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/#organization","name":"Navy Times","url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/navy-logo-white.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/navy-logo-white.png","caption":"Navy Times"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"}},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/#\/schema\/person\/cc76c831bb37a926738c8391fca7a3b1","name":"migration","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/9e8d47be443ce94ce7fc357677b5f9c70235bb1f59e7267a102a74af58c04f59?s=96&d=mm&r=gcf4cb6ee0ec29e49e7a963234e4340ec","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/9e8d47be443ce94ce7fc357677b5f9c70235bb1f59e7267a102a74af58c04f59?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/9e8d47be443ce94ce7fc357677b5f9c70235bb1f59e7267a102a74af58c04f59?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"migration"},"url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/author\/migration\/"}]}},"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"distributor_meta":false,"distributor_terms":false,"distributor_media":false,"distributor_original_site_name":"Navy Times","distributor_original_site_url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes","push-errors":false,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/AP18114777526986.jpg.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/38691","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/7"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=38691"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/38691\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":90235,"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/38691\/revisions\/90235"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/73279"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=38691"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=38691"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=38691"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/navytimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=38691"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}