Ambassador to Norway Kenneth Braithwaite has been chosen as the new secretary of the Navy, President Donald Trump announced in a tweet on Sunday.
“Admiral and now Ambassador to Norway Ken Braithwaite will be nominated by me to be the new Secretary of the Navy,” the president wrote. “A man of great achievement and success, I know Ken will do an outstanding job!”
Trump’s announcement was made just a few hours after Defense Secretary Mark Esper fired Richard Spencer.
"I was not pleased with the way that Navy Seal Eddie Gallagher’s trial was handled by the Navy, Trump wrote in another tweet. “He was treated very badly but, despite this, was completely exonerated on all major charges. I then restored Eddie’s rank.”
The president added, in a continuation of his message on Twitter, that “Likewise, large cost overruns from past administration’s contracting procedures were not addressed to my satisfaction. Therefore, Secretary of the Navy Richard Spencer’s services have been terminated by Secretary of Defense Mark Esper. I thank Richard for his service & commitment.”
A Pentagon spokesman said Spencer's firing was due to Esper’s lack of confidence in him after secret dealings with White House officials concerning the Gallagher case, The Hill reported.
However, Spencer suggested in his own letter that his firing was due to an order from Trump apparently related to the Gallagher case that Spencer could not carry out due to moral reservations.
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