New York Sen. Chuck Schumer lauded Navy Secretary Richard Spencer after Defense Secretary Mark Esper fired him at the request of President Trump.
The Senate minority leader thanked Spencer, 65, for his service and commended him for “standing up to President Trump when he was wrong.” Spencer was fired over his handling of the case of Navy SEAL Eddie Gallagher, 40, who was accused of war crimes.
The former Navy secretary had met with White House officials to signal that Gallagher would be allowed to retire as a Navy SEAL and keep his Trident insignia, so long as he cooperated with the Navy’s inquiry into his actions. Spencer never told Esper about the deal with the White House, which “deeply troubled” the defense secretary and led to his termination.
Schumer decried Trump and Esper’s actions and praised Spencer for his service. He commended Spencer for going against the president.
“I just spoke to former Secretary of the Navy Richard Spencer. I told him he’s a patriot, that he served the Navy and the nation well and he will be missed,” Schumer said in a statement.
He added, “Secretary Spencer did the right thing and he should be proud of standing up to President Trump when he was wrong, something too many in this administration and the Republican Party are scared to do. Good order, discipline, and morale among the Armed Services must transcend politics, and Secretary Spencer’s commitment to these principles will not be forgotten.”
Schumer’s words differed greatly from those of Trump, who claimed Spencer “badly treated” Gallagher.
“I was not pleased with the way that Navy Seal Eddie Gallagher’s trial was handled by the Navy. He was treated very badly but, despite this, was completely exonerated on all major charges,” the president tweeted. “I then restored Eddie’s rank. Likewise, large cost overruns from past administration’s contracting procedures were not addressed to my satisfaction.”
He continued, “Therefore, Secretary of the Navy Richard Spencer’s services have been terminated by Secretary of Defense Mark Esper. I thank Richard for his service & commitment. Eddie will retire peacefully with all of the honors that he has earned, including his Trident Pin.”
Trump has already nominated Spencer’s replacement. His pick, former admiral and current Ambassador to Norway Kenneth Braithwaite, will have to be confirmed by the Senate.
Schumer, 69, has led the Democratic opposition to many of Trump’s nominations, including Education Secretary Betsy Devos and Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh. It is not yet clear if Schumer and Senate Democrats plan to oppose Braithwaite. The Senate previously confirmed the ambassador by a voice vote for his diplomatic position in Norway in 2017.
[Read more: ‘Completely bananas’: Eddie Gallagher offered to give up SEAL Trident pin but was told he could keep it]
