U.S. President Donald Trump speaks at a campaign rally in Sunrise, Florida, U.S., November 26, 2019. REUTERS/Yuri Gripas
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The U.S. Navy announced on Wednesday it would scrap plans to carry out reviews of three Navy SEALs that could have led to their ouster from the elite force, after U.S. President Donald Trump’s extraordinary intervention in a related case.
“I have determined that any failures in conduct, performance, judgment, or professionalism exhibited by these officers be addressed through other administrative measures as appropriate,” Acting Navy Secretary Thomas Modly said in a statement.
The decision follows Trump’s order on Sunday that Special Operations Chief Edward Gallagher keep his status as a Navy SEAL, even after he was convicted of battlefield misconduct. The review of the three other SEALs was connected to the Gallagher case.
Reporting by Phil Stewart; Editing by Sandra Maler