WASHINGTON (AP) — Defense Secretary Mark Esper declared on Monday that President Donald Trump ordered him to stop a disciplinary review of a Navy SEAL accused of battlefield misconduct, an intervention that raised questions about America’s commitment to international standards for battlefield ethics.
Esper, who initially favored allowing the Navy to proceed with a peer-review board for Chief Petty Officer Edward Gallagher, which could have resulted in him losing his SEAL status, said he was obliged to follow Trump’s order. But he also directed the Pentagon’s legal office to review how service members are educated in the laws of armed conflict and trained to wartime behavioral standards.
“I can control what I can control,” Esper told reporters when asked whether Trump sent the right message to U.S. troops by intervening to stop the Gallagher review. “The president is the commander in chief. He has every right, authority and privilege to do what he wants to do.”
Gallagher was acquitted of murder in the stabbing death of an Islamic State militant captive but convicted by a military jury of posing with the corpse while in Iraq in 2017.
In yet another twist to the Gallagher saga, Esper also made an extraordinary accusation against Richard V. Spencer, whom he fired on Sunday as the civilian leader of the Navy. Esper said Spencer last week had gone behind his back to propose a secret deal with the White House in which Spencer would fix the outcome of the Gallagher review. Esper said this was a violation of the military chain of command and that Spencer acknowledged his misstep.
Through a Navy spokesman, Spencer declined requests for comment on Esper’s allegation. However, in a resignation letter Sunday he had said he could not in good conscience follow an order that he believed would undermine the principle of good order and discipline in the military – suggesting that he had been ordered to stop the peer-review process for Gallagher.
Trump began to get involved in the Gallagher case in the spring after Bernard Kerik, a former business partner to his personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani became an advocate for the family and made appearances in conservative media.
The SEAL also changed his defense team to include Marc Mukasey, a lawyer for the Trump real estate company.
The president has tweeted in support of Gallagher, praising the sailor’s service and saying the case was “handled very badly from the beginning.”
Earlier this month, Trump restored Gallagher’s rank, which had been reduced in his military jury conviction.
Trump also pardoned two soldiers — a former Army special forces soldier set to stand trial next year in the killing of a suspected Afghan bombmaker in 2010 and an Army officer who had been convicted of murder for ordering his soldiers to fire on three unarmed Afghan men in 2012, killing two.
Beyond the Spencer firing, the Gallagher case has raised questions about the appropriate role of a U.S. president in matters of military justice. Esper said Trump had a constitutional right to intervene, but others worry that such actions undermine the credibility of American claims to be a leader in ethical and lawful behavior on the battlefield.
“What concerns me the most is the chilling effect this will have on special forces’ willingness to report when they see illegal behavior,” James Stavridis, a retired Navy admiral, said in an email to The Associated Press. “That is tragic because in the end what separates us from our opponents on the battlefield is our willingness to follow the rule of law.”
Sen. Jack Reed, the ranking Democrat on the Senate Armed Services Committee and an Army veteran, accused Trump of “inappropriate involvement” in the military justice system.
“The White House’s handling of this matter erodes the basic command structure of the military and the basic function of the Uniform Code of Military Justice,” Reed said. Carl Tobias, a law professor at the University of Richmond School of Law, said Trump’s action undercut the military.
“We want to be a standard for the world in terms of rule of law,” he said. “I’m concerned that it undermines our own military; it undermines our standing in the world.”
Trump has said Gallagher was treated unfairly by the Navy.
“I think what I’m doing is sticking up for our armed forces,” he said Monday. “There’s never been a president who is going to stick up for them and has like I have.”
Last week Trump tweeted that Gallagher must be allowed to retire as a SEAL, regardless of the Navy’s intention to review his standing in the elite force. Esper’s comments Monday revealed that on Sunday Trump had given the defense secretary a direct order to make this happen.
Even before receiving that order, however, Esper had decided the Gallagher process should be stopped. He said his rationale was that, “given the events of the last few days,” it was no longer possible for Gallagher to get a fair shake.
“As professional as they are,” he said of the Navy review board members, “no matter what they would decide, they would be criticized from many sides, which would further drag this issue on, dividing the institution. I want the SEALs and the Navy to move beyond this now, fully focused on their warfighting mission.”
In announcing Sunday that he had dismissed Spencer, Esper said he acted after learning of Spencer’s secret plan to “guarantee” in advance the outcome of the review board that was to convene next week.
Spencer had “proposed a deal whereby if the president allowed the Navy to handle the case, he would guarantee that Eddie Gallagher would be restored to rank, allowed to retain his Trident and permitted to retire,” Esper said Monday.
This was “completely contrary” to what Esper and the rest of the Pentagon leadership had agreed to, he said, and contrary to Spencer’s public position that the Navy disciplinary process should be allowed to play out with no interference.
Esper said he had previously advocated for allowing the Navy review to go forward. But when Trump gave him a “verbal instruction” to stop the process, he did so. Esper did not say explicitly that he disagreed with Trump’s order.
Once Trump gave the order, Esper said he responded, “Roger. I got it.”
FORT MYERS, Fla. (FNN) — President Donald Trump is scheduled to hold a midterm rally in Fort Myers on Friday, Oct. 23, bringing his campaign efforts to the congressional district represented by his endorsed candidate for Florida governor, U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds.
Donalds, the Republican nominee, faces Democrat David Jolly in the Nov. 3 election. If elected, Donalds would become Florida’s first Black governor, succeeding term-limited Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis.
U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds speaks at a Turning Point Action event in Florida. Photo by Roman Garay / Florida National News.
Rally Set for Oct. 23
Trump’s remarks are scheduled to begin at 2 p.m., with doors opening at 10:30 a.m., according to the Republican Party’s event registration page. All times are Eastern.
Gulf Coast News reports that the rally will take place at Alico Arena at Florida Gulf Coast University. However, the official GOP registration page still lists the venue as “To Be Announced.” Attendees should check that page for confirmation and updates.
Prominent conservative figures, including Tucker Carlson, then-former President Donald Trump, U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds and Megyn Kelly, rallied Republican voters during the Turning Point Action Conference at the Palm Beach County Convention Center, July 15-16, 2023. Photo by Roman D. Garay / Florida National News.
Trump’s Endorsement Connects President to Historic Bid
Trump has endorsed Donalds, whose campaign lists the president among its prominent Republican supporters. The Fort Myers visit places Trump in Donalds’ Southwest Florida political base during the closing weeks of the election.
Following his primary victory, Donalds acknowledged Trump’s influence among Republican voters.
“Obviously, he has the strongest following of anybody in our party,” Donalds said, according to Associated Press reporting.
A Donalds victory would give Florida its first Black governor and extend Republican leadership in the governor’s office. Trump’s endorsement connects the president to that potentially historic outcome, although the rally announcement does not identify the event as exclusively supporting Donalds.
Republican Unity and Voter Turnout
Donalds called for Republicans to unite after the primary, telling supporters, “Tonight we are one united Republican Party,” according to the AP.
The Fort Myers rally will provide Trump another platform to address supporters ahead of the Nov. 3 midterm elections. The published event announcement confirms his appearance but does not list additional speakers.
WASHINGTON (FNN) — Republican National Committee Chairman Joe Gruters is urging Republicans to focus on voter turnout ahead of the Nov. 3 midterm elections, praising President Donald Trump’s campaign appearances and arguing that the party’s success depends on getting supporters to the polls.
In a Fox News appearance highlighted in an RNC news release, Gruters described Trump as an “absolute machine” and pointed to the president’s rallies as a central part of Republicans’ election strategy.
Gruters: ‘It’s All About Turnout Now’
Gruters expressed confidence in Republican candidates while sharply criticizing their Democratic opponents.
“We have strong candidates; [Democrats] have incredibly weak candidates. It’s all about turnout now. That’s why the president’s going to all these rallies. He’s an absolute machine, getting the job done,” Gruters said, according to the release.
His remarks emphasized voter mobilization as Republicans seek to protect and expand their congressional majorities.
RNC Chairman Highlights Trump’s Policies
Gruters also praised the administration’s policies, particularly its approach to the southern border, presenting those efforts as reasons voters should support Republican candidates.
“This president deserves a lot of credit. He deserves a lot of praise for all these great things that he has done,” he said.
The release included broader claims about border enforcement and drug trafficking but did not provide supporting data. Those statements represent Gruters’ assessment of the administration’s record.
Florida Connection to National GOP Leadership
Gruters, a former chairman of the Republican Party of Florida, now leads the national party’s effort to rally Republican voters. The Florida GOP described him as a longtime Trump ally when announcing his election as RNC chairman.
His national role places a political leader with Florida party experience at the forefront of Republicans’ midterm turnout campaign.
Closing Message: Get Supporters to the Polls
“This race all comes down to turnout,” Gruters said.
He framed the election as a choice about the country’s direction and urged voters to continue supporting Trump and conservative leadership.
“If you believe in the American dream, and you still have hope that you or your children could achieve it, then you’ve got to continue the leadership of the conservative party and this president, Donald J. Trump.”
ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. (FNN) — Orange County mayoral candidate Tiffany Moore Russell plans to attend Orlando’s Come Out With Pride celebration and visit churches across the county this weekend as her campaign reaches voters ahead of early voting, according to a campaign announcement.
The Oct. 17-18 stops will give residents opportunities to discuss their priorities with Moore Russell. Candidates, elected officials, community leaders and supporters are expected to join her at various locations, the campaign said.
“This weekend is about traveling across Orange County, meeting residents where they are and hearing directly from them about the future of our community,” Moore Russell said in the announcement. “That is the kind of Mayor I will be — present, accessible and focused on delivering for the people of Orange County.”
Saturday: Come Out With Pride
Moore Russell is scheduled to participate in the Most Colorful Parade at 4 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 17, in downtown Orlando, according to her campaign.
The campaign lists the parade’s starting point as Washington Street and Orange Avenue, with the route concluding at Lake Eola Park. Moore Russell’s appearance will highlight her support for Orange County’s LGBTQ+ community, the announcement said.
Sunday: Church Visits Across Orange County
Moore Russell’s community church tour is scheduled to begin at 7 a.m. Sunday, Oct. 18, at Saint Mark AME Church, 1968 Bruton Blvd., Orlando.
She will then visit additional churches throughout Orange County to meet with congregations, according to the campaign. The announcement did not identify the other churches or provide a complete schedule.
Affordability, Transportation and Small Businesses
During the weekend stops, Moore Russell plans to discuss housing affordability, transportation connections to jobs, support for small and local businesses, and improvements to county government services.
The campaign described those issues as central to her vision for the county but did not outline specific policy proposals in the announcement.
Early Voting Begins Oct. 19
Early voting in Orange County runs Monday, Oct. 19, through Sunday, Nov. 1, from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily, according to the Orange County Supervisor of Elections. Registered Orange County voters may cast ballots at any of the county’s 27 early voting locations.
Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 3, with polls open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Voters casting ballots on Election Day must use their assigned polling place.
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