Pete Souza (left), Ronny Jackson.Photo: Jörg Carstensen/picture alliance via Getty; Mark Wilson/Getty
While once friendly colleagues during their respective tenures in the Obama White House, photographerPete Souzaand physician-turned-lawmakerRonny Jacksonare now — per a new report — the opposite.
Souza, who worked as the White House photographer during the Obama administration, has in recent years used his social media platforms to criticize former PresidentDonald Trumpand his supporters. That includes Jackson, a retired Navy medical officer and the physician for PresidentsBarack Obamaand Trump.
In a story published Friday,TheNew York Timesdelves intothe conflict between 67-year-old Souza and 54-year-old Jackson, who was elected to represent Texas' 13th Congressional District in the House of Representatives in 2021.
While Jackson routinely takes to social media to criticize current PresidentJoe Biden(and suggest, without offering any proof, that the 79-year-old Biden suffers from mental decline) Souza uses his platform to criticize Jackson.
After Jackson claimed last year that there was “something terribly wrong with Biden,” Souza fired back online: “Hey Ronny, remember when you lied about Trump’s weight and height? You have zero credibility as a doctor, so stop spreading more lies. You’re embarrassing yourself.”
Jackson’s estimations of Trump’s height and weight have previously beencalled into question.
Souza has also taken issue with Jackson’s claims aboutCOVID-19, including tweets he’s directed at infectious disease expert Dr.Anthony Fauci.
“Hey Ronny, YOU are the liar not Dr. Fauci. Your disinformation about Covid has led to the death of your own constituents. That is your legacy,” Souzatweeted at Jackson in January, after the latter called Fauci a “liar.”
More recently, Souza has claimed that Jackson was “hungover” while working for in the White House.
“Hey Ronny, all your tweets about cognitive tests makes me wonder whether being hungover while the on-duty doctor for the President of the United States says anything about your mental acuity,” Souza wrote ina recent tweet, in which he attached a photo showing Jackson sitting with his eyes closed and his head in his hand in a hallway.
Jackson told PEOPLE in an earlier statement that the allegations in the report were part of a “political hit job” and accused the inspector general report of rehashing “false allegations from my years with the Obama Administration because I have refused to turn my back on President Trump.”
Souza, meanwhile, struck a different tone. (Neither man responded to messages seeking further comment on Thursday.)
“As long as Ronny continues to tweet disinformation and lies about President Biden and/or Covid, I will continue to respond with the truth, no matter how uncomfortable that may be,” he told theTimesvia email.
source: people.com
