GOP Congressman: Trump’s ‘prerogative’ to weigh in on Navy SEAL review

Rep. Lee Zeldin (R-N.Y.) said Sunday that President Trump has the right as president to comment on a review of a Navy SEAL. 

“As Commander-in-Chief, it is his prerogative to weigh in like he did,” Zeldin said on CNN’s “State of the Union” 

“Whether it’s a past president of future president, as commander in chief it’s their prerogative if they want to defend somebody like this who has really gone through a lot to earn those types of awards,” Zeldin said.

“As Commander-in-Chief, it is his prerogative to weigh in like he did.” – GOP Rep. Lee Zeldin reacts to Trump signaling he would block the Navy’s ejection of Eddie Gallagher, who was found guilty of posing for a photo with the dead body of an ISIS casualty in Iraq. #CNNSOTU pic.twitter.com/580CkjuUri

— State of the Union (@CNNSotu) November 24, 2019

The Navy reportedly informed Gallagher, a chief petty officer, on Wednesday that he would face a legal review next month into whether he could stay on in the Navy SEALS. A military jury convicted Gallagher in July of posing with a corpse in Iraq during a 2017 deployment. He was acquitted of several other charges, including murder.

Navy Secretary Richard Spencer reportedly said Sunday a review of Navy SEAL Edward Gallagher would not be stopped after Trump’s tweet from days before in which the president declared the Navy would “NOT be taking away Warfighter and Navy SEAL Eddie Gallagher’s Trident Pin.”

Spencer said he did not consider the tweet a formal order.