Democratic lawmakers call for Navy chief’s firing

Democratic lawmakers, including members of the House and Senate Armed Services committees, pressed Defense Secretary Mark Esper to fire acting Navy Secretary Thomas Modly for calling the former captain of the USS Theodore Roosevelt “stupid.”

Rep. Elaine Luria (D-Va.), a Navy veteran, tweeted Monday that Esper should “immediately fire” Modly over his remarks, which came days after the aircraft carrier’s commander, Capt. Brett Crozier, was ousted after warning about a coronavirus outbreak on the vessel.

“I have called on @EsperDoD to immediately fire Acting @SECNAV. If you want to know why, listen to this,” Luria tweeted.

I have called on @EsperDoD to immediately fire Acting @SECNAV. If you want to know why, listen to this. https://t.co/s50POMB4qq

— Elaine Luria (@ElaineLuriaVA) April 6, 2020

Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) said Modly should be “removed unceremoniously” and accused him of “failing to protect sailors’ safety & health.”

“He has betrayed their trust. DoD IG must immediately launch an investigation,” Blumenthal tweeted, referring to the Defense Department’s inspector general.

Modly should be removed unceremoniously for these shocking remarks—especially after failing to protect sailors’ safety & health. He has betrayed their trust. DoD IG must immediately launch an investigation. https://t.co/RAZTWit0oU

— Richard Blumenthal (@SenBlumenthal) April 6, 2020

Other lawmakers including Reps. Ted Lieu (D-Calif.), Justin Amash (I-Mich.) and Filemon Vela (D-Texas.) said Modly should resign.

Our civilian-controlled military requires our troops to have confidence that our civilian leaders always have their best interests in mind. @SECNAV Modly has now lost that confidence. He should resign.#mondaythoughts https://t.co/aCyPn54lE0

— Ted Lieu (@tedlieu) April 6, 2020

The acting Navy secretary is unfit for office. He should resign or be removed immediately. https://t.co/6hfiIkFQfa

— Justin Amash (@justinamash) April 6, 2020

Oh the irony! Listen to this… @SECNAV fires a CAPT for being too emotional and then goes on his own emotional rant.

Modly needs to RESIGN!https://t.co/VUYp7cEX1a

— US Rep. Filemon Vela (@RepFilemonVela) April 6, 2020

House Armed Services Committee Chairman Adam Smith (D-Wash.) called for Modly to be removed from his position in a statement on Monday evening. 

“Acting Secretary Modly’s decision to address the sailors on the Roosevelt and personally attack Captain Crozier shows a tone-deaf approach more focused on personal ego than one of the calm, steady leadership we so desperately need in this crisis,” Smith wrote.

Modly reportedly unloaded on Crozier during a Monday morning address to the ship’s crew, calling the former commander “naive” and accusing him of intentionally leaking a letter to senior defense officials that warned of a growing coronavirus outbreak on the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt. 

“It was a betrayal,” Modly said of Crozier’s letter warning of the outbreak. “And I can tell you one other thing: because he did that he put it in the public’s forum and it is now a big controversy in Washington, D.C.”

Modly stood by his remarks in a statement to CNN when asked about the criticism of Crozier.

“I stand by every word I said, even, regrettably any profanity that may have been used for emphasis,” Modly said. “Anyone who has served on a Navy ship would understand. I ask, but don’t expect, that people read them in their entirety.”

It’s unclear how well the acting secretary’s remarks were received on the ship.

Video of Crozier’s departure showed hundreds of sailors cheering and chanting “Captain Crozier” in support of their fired commander a few days before the speech.

The Pentagon did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Updated at 7:53 p.m.