Navy chief says he would follow Trump's instructions on Navy SEAL

[Eugene]

Source: Washington Post

Navy chief says he would follow Trump’s instructions on Navy SEAL

By Karen DeYoung and Dan Lamothe
11/23/2019, 7:11:00 p.m

HALIFAX, Nova Scotia — Navy Secretary Richard V. Spencer said Saturday that he would comply with any order by President Trump regarding the case of a Navy SEAL whose continuance in the elite unit is being reviewed by the service after a controversial murder charge.

“I work at the pleasure of the president,” Spencer said, denying reports that he has threatened to resign. “I do not interpret what the president does. I do what he says.”

But Spencer said he did not consider a presidential tweet to be an order.

His statement, made on the margins of an international security conference in this Canadian maritime city, came as Trump’s interventions this past week in three military court cases have unsettled many at the Pentagon, who voiced concerns about the president undermining the military justice system.

-snip-

Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/navy-chief-says-he-would-follow-trumps-instructions-on-navy-seal/2019/11/23/0c18c66c-0e31-11ea-97ac-a7ccc8dd1ebc_story.html

[Sneederbunk]

1. Methinks, regardless, the Navy Seal will not have smooth sailing the rest of his career.

His superiors are ticked.

[blueinredohio]

2. Well, there went the balls.

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

3. Goddammit!

Isn't there something about not following an illegal order?

[applegrove]

4. I guess, with Trump in danger of messing with peace and war, you have

to pick your battles. The complaint is about an ethical/moral/spiritual/sentence messing with military court cases.

[stopdiggin]

5. think you have to file this one under "Elections have consequences"

I don't think anyone here has reason to be terribly surprised. In the end, the military follows orders. (as they should in most cases) Unfortunately the voters (and a good deal of the military themselves I would add) saddled them with a a Commander in Chief that is utterly unfit for the job. But that doesn't change the fact that they are saddled .. and they do follow orders.

[msongs]

6. as convicted nazis learned, following orders is not a defense nt

[DinahMoeHum]

7. While the SEAL in question may be allowed to stay. . .

. . .he should not be given any assignments of consequence.

Somehow, I severely doubt any SEAL team would accept him now. He'd be a hazard to any mission at this point.

[no_hypocrisy]

8. Trump could always *promote* this bastard in rank and salary . . . .