A recent report from The Washington Post reveals that Rep. Ronny Jackson (R-TX) has been demoted by the U.S. Navy from “retired rear admiral” to “retired Navy captain” due to “inappropriate behavior” during his tenure as White House physician under former President Donald Trump. This information, previously undisclosed, was brought to light by the Post, citing sources who wished to remain anonymous.
The demotion was a result of a 2021 Pentagon inspector general report that substantiated allegations of Jackson berating subordinates, making inappropriate statements about a female subordinate, consuming alcohol improperly with subordinates, and taking the sleep drug Ambien while on duty as the president’s physician. At the time of the report, Jackson held the rank of rear admiral (lower half), a one-star admiral position.
A Navy official confirmed that unspecified action was taken against Jackson in response to the inspector general’s findings. Lt. Cmdr. Joe Keiley, a Navy spokesman, stated that the substantiated allegations were not in line with the Navy’s leadership standards, leading to administrative action taken by the secretary of the Navy in July 2022.
A Navy official confirmed that the service took unspecified action against Jackson in the wake of the 2021 inspector general’s report, which found that Jackson berated subordinates in the White House medical unit, “made sexual and denigrating statements” about a female subordinate, consumed alcohol inappropriately with subordinates and consumed the sleep drug Ambien while on duty as the president’s physician. At the time of the report, Jackson was classified by the Navy as a rear admiral (lower half), a one-star admiral that is distinct from the two-star rear admiral position.
“The substantiated allegations in the DoDIG [Department of Defense inspector general] investigation of Rear Adm. (lower half) Ronny Jackson are not in keeping with the standards the Navy requires of its leaders and, as such, the secretary of the Navy took administrative action in July 2022,” Lt. Cmdr. Joe Keiley, a Navy spokesman, said via email.
Jackson, in his July 2022 memoir, dismissed the inspector general’s findings as politically motivated but did not disclose details about his demotion. As Trump’s physician, Jackson gained public attention in 2018 for praising the president’s cognitive exam performance and making light-hearted comments about his health.
