Former White House doctor and current U.S. Rep. Ronny Jackson (R-TX) was attempting to help a 15-year-old girl who was having a medical emergency during a rodeo in Texas on Saturday when he was “briefly detained” by cops, his office confirmed to The Daily Beast.
A spokesperson for Jackson confirmed the incident took place during a concert at the White Deer Rodeo on Saturday night on the outskirts of Amarillo. They described a “very loud and chaotic environment” in which Jackson was taken into custody—but never arrested—and quickly released once the situation was explained.
The incident began after Jackson was “summoned by someone in the crowd to assist a 15-year-old girl who was having a medical emergency nearby,” his office said.
The GOP congressman had “sat in the stands during the entire rodeo, in full view of the assembled crowd, and was not drinking,” his spokesperson added.
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They described how when Jackson arrived at the scene, “there was a relative, who happened to be a nurse, already providing assistance. Dr. Jackson explained that he was a physician and asked her if she needed help, and she said yes.”
The relative did not immediately respond to an inquiry from The Daily Beast, but they posted on Facebook shortly after the incident describing the teen’s status and the scene—relaying at length a scuffle between authorities and Jackson, during which he was allegedly thrown to the ground.
A comment in the Facebook thread from the relative also revealed the teen is now “awake and alert.”
The statement from Jackson’s office also appeared to confirm the report.
“While assessing the patient in a very loud and chaotic environment, confusion developed with law enforcement on the scene and Dr. Jackson was briefly detained and was actually prevented from further assisting the patient,” Jackson’s statement said, noting that “there were no uniformed EMS providers on the scene at that time.”
“He was immediately released as soon as law enforcement realized that he, as a medical professional, was tending to the young girl’s medical emergency.”
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The local sheriff confirmed to The Texas Tribune that a person was “temporarily detained” and that the department is reviewing the incident—but did not confirm Jackson’s identity. The sheriff declined to comment further on the matter and did not respond to request for comment from The Daily Beast.
The Tribune notes it is unclear who detained Jackson due to the sheer number of authorities on scene.
Jackson joined the White House Medical Unit as a physician in 2006 and served under three presidents, though it was Trump’s tenure in the White House when Jackson’s political aspirations really began to flourish.
He was first elected to the conservative, predominantly white 13th Congressional District in 2020 and re-elected in 2022, setting up a potential U.S. Senate run in 2026. He is one of Trump’s most vocal allies and a known supporter of the former president’s 2024 comeback campaign.
In March, Trump named Jackson as part of his Texas Elected Leadership Team, made up of elected officials from across the state of Texas.
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