President Donald Trump hosted a retired Navy SEAL who had been charged with numerous war crimes and was called “evil” and “toxic” in a recent report by his former platoon members during a military investigation.
According to Edward Gallagher‘s Instagram account, he met with President Trump at his Mar-A-Lago resort and gave the president a “gift” from his time serving in Iraq.
During Gallagher’s time in Iraq, as a platoon chief, he was accused of multiple war crimes, including shooting at civilians and killing a sedated teen ISIS member with a hunting knife who was being held captive and receiving medical aid, The New York Times reported at the time.
He stood trial last summer but was acquitted on charges of first-degree murder and attempted murder of civilians. He was convicted of the lesser crime of posing for inappropriate photos with a dead captive after having admitted to posing with the teen ISIS fighter’s corpse, The Times reported.
A New York Times report published Friday morning revealed direct quotes from members of Gallagher’s former SEAL team, who told investigators they were worried about their chief’s actions.
“The guy is freaking evil,” Special Operator Miller told investigators, according to The Times.
“The guy was toxic,” said Special Operator First Class Joshua Vriens, a sniper, in another interview.
“You could tell he was perfectly O.K. with killing anybody that was moving,” Special Operator First Class Corey Scott, a medic in the platoon, told Navy investigators, according to The Times, which reported that the platoon members declined to comment to the newspaper.
Gallagher denied the most serious allegations against him, and his family members have repeatedly appeared on Fox News to defend him and brand him as a hero. His lawyer, Timothy Parlatore, told the Times the soldiers’ accounts were riddled with inconsistencies, and Gallagher himself has said his accusers concocted their accounts to cover up their inability to meet his high standards.
After the accusations against Gallagher, Republican lawmakers and conservative media outlets rallied around him.
President Trump publicly jumped to Gallagher’s defense, reversing Gallagher’s demotion and then directing the Navy to not take away Gallagher’s trident pin — a symbol of membership in the prestigious Navy SEALs.
What did he give him? An ear maybe from one of women he shot? Sounds like something our "tough" guy "president" would love.
ReplyDeleteTrump is finally realizing that the military will vote against him. Especially after his Navy Seal pardon. Let's not forget the funds taken from the military budget to build his wall that mexico is paying for?
ReplyDeleteHaving never served in the military Trump has absolutely no idea the damage he has done to the military and all of us protected by weighing into this issue. This is a big mistake and if this seal were as honorable as the group he was once a part of he would have retired of his own accord. He brings dishonor on all those he served with and ALL Americans for his behavior and it is a VERY SAD day that will change us as a whole forever. This act alone is worth impeachment!
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