On Sunday, fired Navy Secretary Richard Spencer wrote a letter of his termination claiming he disagreed with the president on what constitutes the “key principle of good order and discipline,” adding that he could not “in good conscience” obey Trump’s order with regard to Gallagher.
That was dishonest. In truth, Spencer tried to work a side deal with the President that would set up a review of Chief Eddie Gallagher’s Trident Pin with a pre-determined decision in Gallagher’s favor. In other words, it would be a political sham. He didn’t bother to tell the Defense Secretary.
Fox News reporter Jennifer Griffin reports that he was fired for “dishonesty” and “undermining the military justice system.” He was dismissed for “lack of candor.”
It also went “counter to Spencer’s private statements.”
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She is also reporting that the Defense Secretary Mark Esper no longer feels Eddie Gallagher can get a fair hearing in the military because of the mess this has created. He will let him retire with his Trident Pin.
Privately a Navy source told Jennifer Griffin he doesn’t see how the case moves forward against the other three men on Gallagher’s team who are up for review.
This makes sense to me.
GRIFFIN’S TWEETS
US official tells me when Sec Navy went to WH to ask POTUS to let Navy review board go forward he promised the board would in the end allow Gallagher to keep his Trident and rank. In other words he promised to fix the results of the board which is usually a board of peers.
— Jennifer Griffin (@JenGriffinFNC) November 24, 2019
I am told Navy Secretary Spencer blindsided Defense Secretary Esper and Gen Mark Milley who had gone to the WH to defend Navy decision and ask that Trident review board be allowed to proceed. WH then told them about back deal Spencer tried to cut…
— Jennifer Griffin (@JenGriffinFNC) November 24, 2019
which did not gibe with what Spencer had told the Defense Secretary and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs. It also was counter to Spencer’s public statements. In other words Spencer was not honest with them or the public so Esper asked for his resignation.
— Jennifer Griffin (@JenGriffinFNC) November 24, 2019
In the end Navy Secretary Richard Spencer was not fired for standing up for military justice but for dishonesty and undermining the military justice system, according to a senior US official. He was fired for “lack of candor.”
— Jennifer Griffin (@JenGriffinFNC) November 24, 2019
Official: Esper then decided that given all of the messy issues surrounding Chief Eddie Gallagher’s case that it would be impossible for him to get a fair hearing from military so he has decided to allow him to keep his Trident and retire at current rank from Navy.
— Jennifer Griffin (@JenGriffinFNC) November 24, 2019
I am told by Navy source that they “can’t see a world where they go forward” with the other 3 SEALs peer review board hearing. “We need to move on.”
— Jennifer Griffin (@JenGriffinFNC) November 24, 2019
THE OPPOSING OPINON
Columnist David Ignatius wrote an op-ed ripping into the President and claiming Mark Esper caved when he fired Richard Spencer. According to Ignatius, Esper told Spencer, “The President wants you to go.”
Ignatius calls Spencer’s wheeling and dealing a “compromise,” and rejects the reason put out about why Spencer was fired.
Under the opinion section, using an anonymous source for his harsh criticism, he said the Pentagon is angry about the special treatment of Chief Eddie Gallagher. Ignatius says Trump “recklessly crosses another line” by firing Spencer.
Ignatius’ column was filled with ad hominem attacks, calling the President “irascible” and “vindictive,” and claiming he now includes the military in his “belligerent, government-by-tweet interference.”
The way we see it, if the President didn’t tweet, the MSM would run rampant with no resistance.
It is a case of a violation of the rule of law, says Ignatius, as if no other President has pardoned or given a special reprieve to any soldier before. The President wanted to block the panel from taking Chief Gallagher’s Trident Pin because he saw it as vindictive.
On the other hand, it is important to keep order in the military so you decide who is right. But, one thing is certain, Deep State is mad.
Make no mistake, most military officials at Pentagon and in Navy wince at Gallagher getting a pass. Per Ignatius: In firing Richard Spencer, Trump recklessly crosses another line – The Washington Post https://t.co/dLveg1Kmhb
— Jennifer Griffin (@JenGriffinFNC) November 25, 2019
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