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Updated April 8th, 2020 at 10:42 IST

Trump: Modly resigning an 'unselfish thing to do'

President Donald Trump said he played no role in the resignation of Acting Navy Secretary Thomas Modly, who stepped down Tuesday after he delivered a profanity-laced upbraiding of the officer he fired as captain of the coronavirus-stricken USS Theodore Roosevelt.  At the same time, the President credited Modly for resigning “to end that problem.” It was, he said, an “unselfish thing to do.”

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President Donald Trump said he played no role in the resignation of Acting Navy Secretary Thomas Modly, who stepped down Tuesday after he delivered a profanity-laced upbraiding of the officer he fired as captain of the coronavirus-stricken USS Theodore Roosevelt.  At the same time, the President credited Modly for resigning “to end that problem.” It was, he said, an “unselfish thing to do.”

Earlier Tuesday,  Defense Secretary Mark Esper said Modly quit on his own accord, "putting the Navy and the sailors above self,” so the Navy and the Roosevelt can move forward.

The Roosevelt is sidelined in port at Guam as members of the crew are tested for the coronavirus and moved ashore.

Modly had created a controversy by firing the Roosevelt's skipper, Captain Brett E. Crozier, last week, saying Crozier had shown “extremely poor judgment” in widely distributing by email a letter calling for urgent help with the COVID-19 outbreak aboard his ship.

Modly then flew to the ship in Guam, and delivered a speech to the crew Sunday in which he lambasted Crozier, saying he was either “too naive or too stupid” to be in charge of an aircraft carrier.

By the time Modly issued a public apology Monday night, the calls among Democrats in Congress for his resignation were mounting. On Tuesday morning, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Modly must go.

Trump told reporters at the White House on Monday that he might get involved, agreeing that Modly's criticism of Crozier was “a rough statement.” He said Crozier made a mistake when he sent a memo to several people laying out his concerns about the crew and the virus. In the memo, which was leaked to the media, Crozier said: “We are not at war. Sailors do not need to die.”

Trump said Crozier had a good career prior to this incident, adding, “I don't want to destroy somebody for having a bad day.”

Modly, a 1983 Naval Academy graduate, became the acting Navy Secretary last November after Richard Spencer was ousted from the position. Trump last month nominated retired Rear Admiral Kenneth Braithwaite, the current ambassador to Norway, to be the next Navy Secretary.

 

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Published April 8th, 2020 at 10:42 IST

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