Rep. Ronny Jackson, a former White House physician, wrongfully detained after rendering medical aid to teen: Report

Republican Rep. Ronny Jackson of Texas was temporarily detained by law enforcement while he was attempting to render aid to a teenage girl who was in medical distress, his office has claimed.

On Saturday evening, Rep. Jackson — who became a high-profile figure while serving as the White House physician for former Presidents George W. Bush, Barack Obama, and Donald Trump — attended the annual White Deer Rodeo in White Deer, Texas, about 40 miles northeast of Amarillo.

Amid the "very loud and chaotic environment," a 15-year-old girl experienced some kind of medical emergency, and the girl's aunt, a nurse, attempted to render aid but required more assistance. So someone flagged Dr. Jackson to help the girl in need, as there were "no uniformed EMS providers on the scene at the time," a statement from Jackson's office claimed.

However, members of law enforcement apparently misunderstood the situation and pulled Jackson from the girl's side and detained him, the statement suggested. Though Jackson was released as soon as officers realized that he was a physician intervening in a medical emergency, the temporary detainment still prevented Jackson "from further assisting the patient," the statement alleged.

It is unclear whether the girl was taken to a medical facility that evening, and her current condition remains unknown.

EMS teams from White Deer and nearby Gray County did confirm that they had responded to calls from the rodeo that led to the detainment of one person, and Carson County Sheriff Tam Terry added that one individual had been "temporarily detained" in connection to the situation, but did not give the person's identity. He also stated that his office was still "reviewing the incident."

In reporting on Jackson's alleged detainment, Newsweek has fixated on one particular detail of the statement from the congressman's office. The statement specifically noted that Jackson "was not drinking" that night, even though "no news report commented on Jackson's condition during this incident," Newsweek said.

Jackson's office did not explain the purpose of sharing that information, but it may have been included to pre-empt any alcohol-related questions from the media. As Newsweek noted, in 2021, the inspector general of the Department of Defense issued a report that accused Jackson of professional misconduct during his tenure as White House physician. The report alleged that Jackson drank alcohol and took Ambien sleeping pills while on the job.

Jackson vehemently denied the allegations. "Democrats are using this report to repeat and rehash untrue attacks on my integrity," he said at the time. "My entire professional life has been defined by duty and service. I've honorably served my country in the U.S. Navy, served patients who trusted me with their care, served three Presidents in the White House, and now I serve the people of Texas' 13th District in Congress. I have not, and will not ever, conduct myself in a way that undermines the sincerity with which I take my oath to my country or my constituents."

Jackson spent 24 years serving in the Navy and retired in 2019 as a rear admiral. A staunch supporter of former President Trump, Jackson was first elected to Congress in 2020 and then re-elected last November. He has already endorsed Trump in the 2024 presidential race.

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