Texas Representative Ronny Jackson says former President Barack Obama gave him the business after the White House physician-turned-politician had some not-so-nice things to say about President Joe Biden’s cognitive health.
Jackson, who served as both Obama and Trump’s White House physician, is promoting a new book. And in an interview with Fox News, Jackson said Obama called him out after the doctor tweeted that Biden might need to undergo a cognitive screening. “Remember the cognitive test that I gave @realDonaldTrump?” Jackson tweeted. “The one he aced! Sounds like somebody else might need some testing done!! Scary!!”
To refresh your memory, Jackson is referring to the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) Trump took during his presidency – you know, the one where he so proudly repeated “person, woman, man, camera, TV.” And while Trump scored 30 out of 30 on the test, it is not an indication of his intelligence. Instead, the test is designed to help doctors detect early signs of disease, including Alzheimer’s.
In the Fox interview, Rep. Jackson shared details of a “scathing” email he received from Obama shortly after his tweet. “I have made a point of not commenting on your service in my successor’s administration and have always spoken highly of you both in public and in private. You always served me and my family well, and I have considered you not only a fine doctor and service member but al so a friend,” Obama wrote. “That’s why I have to express my disappointment at the cheap shot you took at Joe Biden via Twitter. It was unprofessional and beneath the office that you once held. It was also disrespectful to me and the many friends you had in our administration. You were the personal physician to the President of the United States as well as an admiral in the U.S. Navy. I expect better, and I hope upon reflection that you will expect more of yourself in the future.”
For his part, Rep. Jackson has received his own fair share of criticism about his fitness for office. A 2021 report from the Department of Defense inspector general said Jackson made “sexual and denigrating” comments to female subordinates and drank alcohol on the job while serving as White House physician.