Secretary of Defense Mark Esper confirmed on Monday that President Trump ordered him to make sure Eddie Gallagher kept his Navy SEAL Trident.
“He gave me the order,” Esper told reporters at the Pentagon.
Esper fired Secretary of the Navy Richard Spencer on Sunday after the Navy announced it would conduct a review of Gallagher’s status in the SEAL community before his pending retirement.
“This dismissal is not about Eddie Gallagher. It’s about Secretary Spencer and the chain of command,” Esper said.
Spencer reportedly attempted to broker a deal with the White House that would have allowed Gallagher to retain his SEAL Trident but also enable the Navy to conduct its review. Spencer had denied rumors that he was going to resign over Trump’s interference in the case but had hinted to Esper that he would do so. Esper said he could not “reconcile” the personal statements with what Spencer said publicly.
Gallagher, who was found not guilty of all but one war crime in July, has fought to retain his Trident and rank prior to his retirement. Trump has intervened on his behalf on both accounts and also aided him before and after his trial. Gallagher’s legal team expects he could be allowed to retire as early as Nov. 30.
