In Kansas City, VA secretary avoids questions about Trump support for disgraced Navy SEAL
When Robert Wilkie, the secretary of Veterans Affairs, was in Kansas City Monday, he discussed the crisis of veteran suicides, homelessness and the need to care for veterans in rural areas.
What he would not talk about is the controversy surrounding President Donald Trump’s decision to upend the disciplinary process involving Edward Gallagher, a Navy SEAL accused of war crimes.
Instead, Wilkie broadly defended Trump’s relationship with veterans.
“No president has ever made veterans the centerpiece, not only of his campaign, but of his administration,” Wilkie said. “We have never had this kind of support.”
Spending for veterans programs has increased during the Trump administration, which is good news. But supporting veterans and the military isn’t only about funding.
Trump’s decision to excuse military misbehavior has further corroded essential American norms, threatening the safety of active duty military and civilians alike.
“He’s president chaos,” said Paul Rieckhoff, founder of Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America. “Now that’s overflowing into the Pentagon.”
Gallagher’s case has been an issue for conservative groups and media outlets for some time. He was accused of committing war crimes in Iraq but was acquitted. Instead, he was demoted for bringing discredit to the armed forces.
Trump recently blocked the demotion. He then ordered the Navy to maintain Gallagher’s status as a SEAL, a decision that led in part to the resignation of Richard Spencer, the secretary of the Navy.
“We’re going to protect our warfighters,” Trump said Monday.
But it’s more likely the controversy will confuse soldiers and sailors everywhere. What behavior is acceptable — and what is not?
Trump’s intervention tarnishes the records of millions of veterans and active duty combatants who have followed the rules and served their country with honor. It also makes the work of the armed forces tougher in some pretty tough places.
We should be clear: Trump is the commander in chief, and he has pardon power. He acted within the bounds of his authority.
But just because you can do something doesn’t mean you should. Congress should hold hearings on the circumstances of Gallagher’s case, an idea supported Monday by Sen. Jerry Moran, a Kansas Republican.
“I have no doubt but what my colleagues in the United States Senate, particularly on the Armed Services Committee, will want to know more than what we know today,” Moran said.
In his resignation, former Navy Secretary Spencer explained the stakes. “The rule of law is what sets us apart from our adversaries,” he wrote.
Sadly, the president has short-circuited the rule of law in the Gallagher case. That hurts veterans and all military personnel protecting our nation from harm.
This story was originally published November 26, 2019 at 2:21 PM.