Navy defies Trump's clemency of SEAL Edward Gallagher to save its institutional integrity

The Navy announced it was considering kicking Chief Petty Officer Edward Gallagher out of the SEALs Wednesday even though President Donald Trump had recently reversed his demotion. It was a stunning move.

Trump clearly seemed outraged by the prospect. He tweeted in response Thursday morning that “the Navy will NOT be taking away Warfighter and Navy Seal Eddie Gallagher’s Trident Pin” (the official sign of membership in the SEALs), though whether that will lead to the cancellation of the Navy's review remains unclear.

The Navy’s willingness to try to discipline a rogue SEAL despite him having received presidential clemency demonstrates the depths of the military’s understanding that it needs to get this and other elite units in order. After years of demanding more of its special ops forces while dismissing worrying reports from their ranks, the Pentagon can no longer deny it has a major problem on its hands — and that it must take steps to curb out-of-control behaviors it’s long preferred to overlook.

In the current case, Gallagher received a summons Wednesday for a peer review to decide whether to recommend his removal from the SEALs, along with three officers accused of covering for him. The announced review came five days after Trump reversed Gallagher’s demotion to petty officer first class.