Navy secretary fired over private proposal to restore SEAL’s rank
Navy Secretary Richard Spencer has resigned after a request by Defense Secretary Mark Esper over a private proposal to the White House to restore the rank of SEAL Edward Gallagher, the Pentagon confirmed to CBS News on Sunday. Esper said in a statement that he is “deeply troubled” by Spencer’s conduct and “unfortunately, as a result I have determined that Secretary Spencer no longer has my confidence to continue in his position.”
Gallagher was accused of war crimes charges, which included shooting civilians, murdering a captured ISIS fighter with a hunting knife and threatening to kill SEALs who reported to him. He was acquitted in his court martial, but was convicted of the lesser charge of posing with the corpse.
President Trump tweeted earlier this week that he planned to intervene for Gallagher after a report that Rear Admiral Collin Green, commander of Navy Special Warfare Command, intended to inform Gallagher and three other officers their case is being sent to a review board, which could result in their expulsion from the secretive force.
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Gallagher said Sunday on “Fox & Friends” he intends to retire with his Trident Pin, the prestigious Special Warfare insignia. He also accused Spencer of “meddling in my case” and “trying to get people to not support me.”
According to the Pentagon, after Esper and General Mark Milley, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, spoke with Mr. Trump on Friday, Esper learned that Spencer had privately proposed to the White House to restore Gallagher’s rank and allow him to retire with his Trident Pin. This was contrary to Spencer’s public position.
The Navy said Saturday that it can proceed with disciplinary action against Gallagher despite Mr. Trump’s tweet. Spencer told reporters he would need a formal order to act, and he did not interpret Mr. Trump’s tweet as a “formal order.”
“If the president requests to stop the process, the process stops,” Spencer said. “Good order and discipline is also obeying orders from the president of the United States.”
After Mr. Trump interfered to reverse Gallagher’s demotion, he tweeted Thursday that the Trident pin that signifies Gallagher’s membership in the SEALs should not be taken away.
“The Navy will NOT be taking away Warfighter and Navy Seal Eddie Gallagher’s Trident Pin. This case was handled very badly from the beginning. Get back to business!” Mr. Trump wrote.
Mr. Trump’s tweet came after CBS News reported last week that Green, the top Navy SEAL, was going to notify Gallagher and three other officers that their case is being sent to a review board which could end in their expulsion from the SEALs.
Both Green and Spencer denied reports that they had threatened to resign.
The president’s restoration of Gallagher’s rank and clemency toward two other former Army soldiers, was welcomed by many conservatives, but questioned by critics like former Joint Chiefs Chairman General Martin Dempsey. Dempsey tweeted in May that without evidence proving the innocence of or injustice against the accused service members, their “wholesale pardon … signals our troops and allies we don’t take the Law of Armed Conflict seriously.” He called it an “abdication of moral responsibility.”
Although the decision to send the SEALs’ cases to the review board was taken by Green, who is the head of the Navy Special Warfare Command, it has the backing of both the secretary of the Navy and the chief of Naval Operations, a Navy officer told CBS News. The officer explained this is an administrative action which was not affected by the president’s legal action last week.
The other three officers whose cases are set to be reviewed are , who was the troop commander; Lieutenant Jacob Portier, who was the platoon officer in charge and reported to Breisch; and Lieutenant Thomas MacNeil, who was the platoon assistant officer in charge.
David Martin and Grace Segers contributed to this report.
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