U.S. Navy Secretary Richard Spencer Fired Over Seal Controversy
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From the Right
Pentagon Chief Fires Navy Secretary Over SEAL Controversy
Defense Secretary Mark Esper has fired the Navy’s top official, ending a stunning clash between President Donald Trump and top military leadership over the fate of a SEAL accused of war crimes in Iraq.
Esper said Sunday that he had lost confidence in Navy Secretary Richard Spencer and alleged that Spencer proposed a deal with the White House behind his back to resolve the SEAL’s case. Trump has championed the matter of Navy Chief Petty Officer Edward Gallagher, who was acquitted of murder in the stabbing death of an Islamic...
From the Center
US Navy Secretary Richard Spencer fired over Seal case
US Navy chief Richard Spencer has been fired over his handling of the case of a Navy Seal demoted for misconduct.
The case of Edward Gallagher, who was convicted for posing with a corpse, had sparked tensions between US President Donald Trump and military officials.
The navy officer had been due to face a disciplinary review where he could have been stripped of his Seals membership.
There have been differing accounts as to why Richard Spencer was asked to resign.
US Defence Secretary Mark Esper said he had lost confidence...
From the Left
Esper forces out Navy secretary over disputed SEAL case
Navy Secretary Richard Spencer resigned Sunday at Defense Secretary Mark Esper’s request over a private compromise Spencer proposed to the White House that would have allowed a sailor accused of war crimes to retire as a SEAL rather than being kicked out of the elite force’s ranks, the Pentagon said.
Spencer‘s departure marks the latest development in a case that has pitted military leaders against President Donald Trump, whose desire to keep the sailor in the SEALs Spencer criticized in a letter to the president. It also adds to a...