The Pentagon announced Sunday afternoon that Defense Secretary Mark Esper has asked Navy Secretary Richard Spencer to resign for not telling him that he had a private conversation with the White House over the taking away of Navy SEAL Eddie Gallagher’s Navy SEAL Trident pin.
“Secretary of Defense Mark T. Esper has asked for the resignation of Secretary of the Navy Richard Spencer after losing trust and confidence in him regarding his lack of candor over conversations with the White House involving the handling of Navy SEAL Eddie Gallagher,” the Pentagon’s chief spokesman Jonathan Hoffman said in a statement Sunday.
Trump had intervened in recent weeks to restore Gallagher’s rank, which was reduced by the Navy after he was convicted of taking a photo with a deceased Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) fighter.
The Navy then announced it would launch a review board to consider whether to take away Gallagher’s Trident pin, essentially kicking him out of the Navy SEALs. Trump tweeted that the Navy would do no such thing, but Spencer said it would proceed until receiving an official order from the president, which he would follow.
Macron vows nuclear arsenal boost as Europe turns to nukes amid rising global threats
‘Under siege’: Inside the growing radical Islam threat critics say is hiding in plain sight in deep red Texas
Walz-Ellison administration ‘enabled’ Minnesota’s fraud scandal: Guy Benson
NYC Dept of Education employee arrested, charged with murder of Bronx father
Savannah Guthrie returns to ‘Today’ show studio for first time since mother went missing
Iran widens regional war with first strike into Azerbaijan
5 House Oversight Committee Republicans Join with Democrats to Subpoena Pam Bondi in Epstein Probe
As Jasmine Crockett Concedes Texas Senate Primary, Attention Focuses on Radical Dem Who Beat Her
Tom Emmer calls for Tim Walz, Keith Ellison to ‘serve jail time’ if fraud coverup allegations are true
Republican Rep Burgess Owens to retire from Congress when term ends
VIDEO: College Basketball Ref Knocked Out Cold When Players Turn Violent on Court
DOJ Ends Investigation Into Autopen Scandal With Zero Charges, Grand Juries, or Indictments
The ‘woo-woo’ philosophy of Trump’s surgeon general pick
Illegal’s dragging of ICE agent shows the exact danger the officer who shot Renee Good feared, expert says
The Iran Strikes Have Flooded X with So Much AI Disinformation That I Went Crawling Back to Cable News
The Pentagon said in its statement that after Esper and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Mark Milley spoke with President Trump on Friday regarding Gallagher’s case, Esper learned that “Spencer had previously and privately proposed to the White House — contrary to Spencer’s public position — to restore Gallagher’s rank and allow him to retire with his Trident pin.”
“When recently asked by Secretary Esper, Secretary Spencer confirmed that despite multiple conversations on the Gallagher matter, Secretary Esper was never informed by Secretary Spencer of his private proposal,” Hoffman said.
Hoffman also announced that Esper has directed that Gallagher retain his Trident pin, and that Navy Under Secretary Thomas Modley would now be acting Navy secretary.
Hoffman said:
Secretary Esper’s position with regard to UCMJ, disciplinary, and fitness for duty actions has always been that the process should be allowed to play itself out objectively and deliberately, in fairness to all parties. However, at this point, given the events of the last few days, Secretary Esper has directed that Gallagher retain his Trident pin. Secretary Esper will meet with Navy Under Secretary (now Acting Secretary) Thomas Modley and the Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Michael Gilday on Monday morning to discuss the way ahead.
Macron vows nuclear arsenal boost as Europe turns to nukes amid rising global threats
‘Under siege’: Inside the growing radical Islam threat critics say is hiding in plain sight in deep red Texas
Walz-Ellison administration ‘enabled’ Minnesota’s fraud scandal: Guy Benson
NYC Dept of Education employee arrested, charged with murder of Bronx father
Savannah Guthrie returns to ‘Today’ show studio for first time since mother went missing
Iran widens regional war with first strike into Azerbaijan
5 House Oversight Committee Republicans Join with Democrats to Subpoena Pam Bondi in Epstein Probe
As Jasmine Crockett Concedes Texas Senate Primary, Attention Focuses on Radical Dem Who Beat Her
Tom Emmer calls for Tim Walz, Keith Ellison to ‘serve jail time’ if fraud coverup allegations are true
Republican Rep Burgess Owens to retire from Congress when term ends
VIDEO: College Basketball Ref Knocked Out Cold When Players Turn Violent on Court
DOJ Ends Investigation Into Autopen Scandal With Zero Charges, Grand Juries, or Indictments
The ‘woo-woo’ philosophy of Trump’s surgeon general pick
Illegal’s dragging of ICE agent shows the exact danger the officer who shot Renee Good feared, expert says
The Iran Strikes Have Flooded X with So Much AI Disinformation That I Went Crawling Back to Cable News
The Pentagon statement included a quote from Esper: “I am deeply troubled by this conduct shown by a senior DOD official. Unfortunately, as a result I have determined that Secretary Spencer no longer has my confidence to continue in his position. I wish Richard well.”
Esper has proposed that Ambassador Kenneth Braithwaite, current U.S. Ambassador to Norway and a retired Navy Rear Admiral, be considered as the next Secretary of the Navy, the statement said.
Story cited here.
