Trump fires US navy chief over handling of discipline case

The chief of the US Navy on Sunday criticised Donald Trump after being sacked in a dispute over an elite SEAL commando whose demotion for misconduct was reversed by the president.

Richard Spencer was ousted as Navy Secretary, a civilian position, in a case that has fueled reports that the US military leadership has been angered by Trump's interference in discipline cases.

"I no longer share the same understanding with the Commander in Chief who appointed me, in regards to the key principles of good order and discipline," Spencer said in a stinging letter published by US media.

US President Donald Trump. File photo

"I hereby acknowledge my termination as United States Secretary of the Navy."

The dispute centers on the fate of Navy SEAL Edward Gallagher who was accused of war crimes in a high-profile case but was found guilty of a lesser offense.

On November 15, Trump — the commander-in-chief of the US military — reversed the demotion handed down to Gallagher.

Trump tweeted on Sunday that Gallagher had been "treated very badly" by the navy, and that Spencer had been asked to resign over the issue and over his alleged failure to address budget overruns.

The president said Gallagher would not be expelled from the elite SEAL (Sea, Air, and Land) force.

"Eddie will retire peacefully with all of the honors that he has earned," Trump tweeted.

Defence Secretary Mark Esper. File photo

Defence Secretary Mark Esper said he had asked for Spencer's resignation "after losing trust and confidence in him regarding his lack of candor over conversations with the White House," the Department of Defense said in a statement.

Esper said he was "deeply troubled by this conduct."

Pentagon chief fires Navy secretary

Defence Secretary Mark Esper on Sunday 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 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 State militant captive but convicted of posing with the corpse while in Iraq in 2017.

Mark Esper greets Navy Richard Spencer upon arrival at the US Navy-US Air Force football game. File photo/Reuters

Spencer’s firing was a dramatic turn in the fast-changing and politically charged controversy. It exposed fissures in Trump’s relationship with the highest ranks of the U.S. military and raised questions about the appropriate role of a commander in chief in matters of military justice.

Gallagher was demoted from chief petty officer to a 1st class petty officer after his conviction by a military jury. Trump, however, restored Gallagher’s rank this month.