Republican Rick Jackson is confronting an awkward contradiction in his Georgia gubernatorial race.
While aggressively positioning himself as President Donald Trump's most loyal supporter, the billionaire's healthcare company has repeatedly criticized Trump's One Big Beautiful Bill Act, warning it will devastate the medical industry, reported Fox News.
Jackson has spent months casting himself as Trump's preferred candidate, despite Trump's endorsement of rival Lt. Gov. Burt Jones, but his company Jackson Physician Search, a subsidiary of Jackson Healthcare, published website materials in September 2025 stating that the bill's "sweeping cuts to Medicaid and ACA programs raise serious concerns about access, equity, and sustainability," and warned hospitals may need to "adapt or close their doors."
A February 2026 company report escalated the criticism, projecting the law would cause 10 million to 15 million people to lose health coverage while Medicare and Medicaid cuts created "significant financial pressure" across healthcare organizations and "considerable fear and uncertainty."
Jackson's campaign spokeswoman dismissed the contradiction, stating Jackson "supports the Big Beautiful Bill. Period," and claiming months of Democratic attacks on the issue make "about as much sense as accusing a pilot of hating to fly."
On the campaign trail, Jackson publicly praised the bill's work requirements, which he said incentivize productivity. He told constituents the law would cost him 40 percent more in taxes if it hadn't passed, calling work requirements essential to preserving human dignity.
Yet Jackson Physician Search officials contradicted this position. Senior Vice President Tara Osseck warned the bill's provisions on visas and work requirements would force rural hospitals to close and exacerbate physician shortages. Regional Vice President Tonya Hamlin cautioned that student loan reforms in the bill would make medical school unaffordable for low-income students, worsening healthcare workforce shortages.
The Georgia Republican primary, scheduled for May 19, features Jackson competing against Lt. Gov. Jones, Attorney General Chris Carr, and Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger. Jackson donated $1 million to Trump's MAGA Inc. super PAC before entering the race in February.
