WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump is insisting the Navy “will NOT be taking away Warfighter and Navy Seal Eddie Gallagher’s Trident Pin” that designates him a SEAL.
Attorneys for Chief Petty Officer Edward Gallagher had accused the Navy of trying to remove the designation in retaliation for Trump’s decision last week to restore Gallagher’s rank.
Gallagher was acquitted of a murder charge in the stabbing death of an Islamic State militant captive, but a military jury convicted him of posing with the corpse while in Iraq in 2017. He was demoted to chief.
Trump tweeted, “This case was handled very badly from the beginning” and urged those involved to “Get back to business!”
Gallagher filed a complaint with the inspector general accusing a rear admiral of insubordination for defying Trump’s actions.
