STUNNING if True – NYT Reports U.S. Navy Secretary Richard Spencer Blackmailing President Trump…

The initial jaw-dropping compromise within the Pentagon was first noted when Lt. Col Alexander Vindman, on assignment to the National Security Council, admitted during his deposition to defying White House policy and delivering countermanding instructions to his colleagues in the Ukraine government.

Alex Vindman compromised his position, compromised his leadership, and made himself an issue for National Security Advisor Robert O’Brien.  However, it wasn’t what Vindman did per se’, but rather what the Dept. of Defense didn’t do that was more alarming.  Immediately upon notification of the compromise Defense Secretary Mark Esper (above left) was under the obligation to remove the compromise, yet he did nothing.

The Vindman example was/is a concerning lack of action by Defense Dept. leadership, and that situation is made all the more alarming today as the New York Times is reporting Navy Secretary Richard V. Spencer is now openly blackmailing CiC President Donald J Trump and rebuking civilian authority and oversight.

New York Times […] The secretary of the Navy and the admiral who leads the SEALs have threatened to resign or be fired if plans to expel a commando from the elite unit in a war crimes case are halted by President Trump, administration officials said Saturday.

The Navy is proceeding with the disciplinary plans against the commando, Chief Petty Officer Edward Gallagher, who counts Mr. Trump as one of his most vocal supporters. After reversing a demotion in recent days, the president suggested on Thursday that he would intervene again in the case, saying that the sailor should remain in the unit.

The threats by the Navy secretary, Richard V. Spencer, and the commander, Rear Adm. Collin Green, are a rare instance of pushback against Mr. Trump from members of the Defense Department. Defense Secretary Mark T. Esper and Gen. Mark Milley, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, scrambled to come up with a face-saving compromise this past week in the hope that Mr. Trump could be persuaded to change his mind.

[…] One argument that officials said may be relied on is the assumption that a tweet does not constitute a formal presidential order. Mr. Esper and General Milley conveyed to the president that if he followed up that tweet with a direct order, there would be huge consequences: Mr. Trump would lose Mr. Spencer and Admiral Green, further infuriate his top military leadership and do untold damage to decades of military justice doctrine, according to administration officials. (read more)

Let’s cut through the chaff and fog.

The military, nor any person therein, does not get to “threaten” the President of The United States. The President is the Commander in Chief of all armed forces. It is not President Trump who would be doing “untold damage to decades of military justice doctrine“, but rather the insubordination of flag officers who are duty bound to carry out legal and constitutional instructions from the President.

The DoD inaction surrounding Lt. Col Vindman was a precursor, a visible symptom few were paying attention to; indicating a political cancer within the unified chain of command. The U.S. Secretary of the Navy threatening the U.S. President is an even more alarming symptom.

A military officer does not get to threaten his leadership with a ‘do what I demand or I will quit’ approach.  Any senior level military officer who would express such a sentiment would be regarded as unstable, compromised and unfit to hold a leadership rank.

Yes, it really is that simple.

.

 

This entry was posted in Big Government, Big Stupid Government, Decepticons, Deep State, media bias, Military, President Trump, Uncategorized. Bookmark the permalink.

404 Responses to STUNNING if True – NYT Reports U.S. Navy Secretary Richard Spencer Blackmailing President Trump…

  1. David Vicknair says:

    Everyone, just observe the Bongino rule.

    Liked by 2 people

  2. Deplorable_Vespucciland says:

    Those three guys who Trump defended are guilty of one thing; they refused to fight the war with one hand tied behind their backs. Obama Era rules of engagement and all that. We must be nice to the sneaky ISIS muslim terrorists or else they might not like us. Yeah, that cr@p is over and everyone who subscribed and encouraged it should retire or be fired. A good start would be making an example of the SecNav.

    Liked by 5 people

    • Zumtrotz says:

      I had several long conversations with an injured veteran recuperating in my area. She said that the Rules of Engagement under 0bama were so designed that they could not even defend themselves not to mention to accomplish any useful objective.

      Liked by 4 people

  3. Rgt says:

    The admiral is toast. The military has no place for insubordination and it puts at risk its effectiveness.

    Liked by 6 people

    • Redzone says:

      SECNAV just posted: I would like to further state that in no way, shape, or form did I ever threaten to resign. That has been incorrectly reported in the press. I serve at the pleasure of the President.

      Liked by 5 people

    • listingstarboard says:

      Spencer is not an admiral–https://www.defense.gov/Our-Story/Biographies/Biography/Article/1887215/richard-v-spencer/

      Like

    • The Demon Slick says:

      Assuming that all the turmoil is real, because nyt, I don’t think the admiral and whoever else is very good at calculating outcomes. They should be removed for that alone. If this admiral ever had to fight a real battle, many of your humans would be lost.

      Liked by 1 person

  4. k4jjj says:

    Everybody can be replaced. Douglas MacArthur found that out when he publicly rebuked President Truman who promptly fired him.

    I would also argue the graveyards are packed full of “irreplaceable” men.

    Liked by 9 people

  5. RAC says:

    The world has been spinning for millions of years.
    Eventually everyone dies.
    The world keeps spinning.
    Ergo no one is indispensable.
    Fire them.
    Fire them quick.
    Don’t let them think the decision had to be pondered over.

    Liked by 2 people

    • CM-TX says:

      When my oldest was around 3, anytime he got mad at someone– he would make an 😠 face & say, “You’re Fired!!” We had no idea where he picked it up from, but it was hilarious.

      So as they say, “out of the mouth of babes”…

      Like

  6. alliwantissometruth says:

    Maybe this has something to do with it…

    “After leaving the Marines as a captain, he worked on Wall Street for 15 years, holding positions at Goldman Sachs, Bear Stearns, Donaldson, Lufkin & Jenrette, A. G. Becker, Paine Webber and Merrill Lynch”

    Liked by 7 people

  7. leftnomore says:

    The Derp state is going into hyperspeed, being fueled by the media. They WILL go supernova at some point, and the sight will be spectacular.

    Liked by 3 people

    • bruzedorange says:

      I’ve wondered–should that blessed moment ever arrive–what the Deep State’s final misdirection play would be, to move the public’s eyes away from the Big Ugly Reveal.

      My bet is a document dump of classified UFO investigations and Roswell records, climaxing in a live interview with a space alien*.

      * The interview will be done by Dan Rather, but the space alien will turn out to be Whoopi Goldberg. Nonetheless, Dan will insist…

      Liked by 2 people

  8. Johnny Dollar says:

    New York Times is, as usual, full of sh*t.

    SECNAV is not resigning.

    FTA: “Navy Secretary Richard V. Spencer denied he threatened to resign his office over President Trump’s intervention into a Naval Special Warfare Command review board that could strip SEAL Chief Edward Gallagher of his Naval Special Warfare rating.”

    https://news.usni.org/2019/11/22/secnav-defends-moving-ahead-with-gallagher-trident-review-board

    Liked by 4 people

  9. dayallaxeded says:

    With the those statements, they already quit. If they stay and attempt to follow through with their threats, they’ll be the ones up for court martial and no pardon or commutation in sight. TDS is a terrible disease!

    Liked by 3 people

  10. scrap1ron says:

    Time to purge the mutineers, Mr. President. No one is irreplaceable. They don’t don’t have to like their orders, but they do have to carry them out.

    Liked by 4 people

  11. bruzedorange says:

    Didja ever stop to think, historically, what a time this would be to be a journalist in Washington!
    Instead, what a time in Washington for would be journalists.

    Liked by 1 person

    • Walt says:

      “… what a time this would be to be a journalist in Washington!”

      I have often thought that. There are Pulitzers everywhere, just lying on the ground ready to be picked up …

      If only we could find a way to get some journalists to move to Washington.

      Like

  12. Bigly says:

    Mark levin had several military brass on this week – the vets are so pissed at Vindman , et al.

    #war

    Liked by 7 people

    • THIS vet is highly pissed at the pentagon overall. The last administration removed, threatened, and outright blackmailed good officers so their brown-nosed sycophants would be in power.. and this is what we get.
      Courts Martial for insubordination, reduction in rank to E1, forfeiture of pay, and time in Leavenworth will return discipline to the 5 sided snakepit, and make an example for any future traitors.. and yes I said traitors.

      Liked by 3 people

  13. T2020 says:

    Fire the lot of them, President Trump!!! George Washington would have hung them in the public square for insubordination.

    Liked by 2 people

  14. PinotNoir says:

    Story smells like NYT BS. Not how Navy brass rolls.

    Liked by 1 person

  15. Amy2 says:

    It’s PRESIDENT Trump you jerks!!

    Liked by 1 person

  16. beaujest says:

    Send him back to Rollins College!

    Like

  17. Sunshine says:

    REJOICE. They’re showing their faces. It makes it easier for the cleanup operation.

    Liked by 2 people

  18. jeans2nd says:

    Nearly everyone here seems to be following the shiny object, chasing the squirrel.

    The problem is not SecNav. The problem is SecDef.
    The military reflects the leadership of SecDef more than the President.

    There are tons of the finest military officers “retired” by Obama, still out there and willing to serve.
    To quote Col Pat Lang – “Put me in coach.”

    Time to recall a few retirements.

    Liked by 5 people

  19. CM-TX says:

    Recent Gallagher interview… was the day before he went back to work. At the very end of it he says he was fully expecting retaliatory action by his superiors on his return.

    I forget who the “reporter” was, but said he’d have him come back to share that part of the story.

    Like

  20. Just watched SECNAV on air say that he has never threatened to resign, the NYT story is BS.

    Liked by 1 person

  21. Merkin Muffley says:

    The Admiral’s Facebook and Twitter pages are lit up, and not in a way the Admiral would like.

    Liked by 1 person

  22. trumpmemesandreams says:

    Remember: this is 8 years of neocons with the military and their ‘civilian’ industry counterparts given carte blanche… and then more importantly 8 years of Obama. Obama purged the top brass — more than 200 general officers/flag officers by the time he left. [2013: https://www.investors.com/politics/editorials/197-military-officers-purged-by-obama/ ]

    The leftovers are just as political as any other political appointee or deep state SES-leftover who came in under the Obama administration. These are the same folks that are/were gleefully pushing transgenders, gays, etc and various other visions of social justice to reshape the military into a new Leftist Red Guard.

    Anyone under Obama who made full bird and above should be treated with skepticism until proven otherwise.

    Liked by 2 people

  23. Kerry Gimbel says:

    Time to fire all the insubordinates. Let them all go get hired by the MSM as so called military experts

    Liked by 1 person

  24. sundance says:

    Liked by 4 people

    • MaineCoon says:

      Hey, Spencer…..why did it take 2 tweets to spit this out?? I would have thought obeying orders for the president of the Unitied States would have been on the tip of your tongue. First and foremost. First up. First tweet.

      Yah, Spenser. We’ve got your number.

      Liked by 2 people

    • trumpmemesandreams says:

      “Sorry but I’ll need that order in writing, sir.”

      Imagine the level of sheer arrogance and self-importance it takes to even utter these words. POTUS is CINC and his intent and orders are perfectly clear and legal. Esper needs to go as of yesterday, and so do the rest.

      Liked by 2 people

    • Chilidog says:

      So, he will follow the order if Trump communicates it the way the Sec of Navy wants. Is it in the constitution that you only have to follow the orders that are given in your preferred method? He should be fired immediately.

      Liked by 2 people

      • gabytango says:

        It is a classic Machiavellian move. He’ll only do it the way HE wants it done. It’s his way of showing “dominance” over President Trump. And YES, he should be fired immediately!

        Like

    • JohnCasper says:

      “UPDATE: Spencer says he will stop proceedings to strip Gallagher’s trident if Trump sends a formal order.”

      Would a written order delivered by a cruise missile be formal enough for his Lordship Spencer ?

      Like

  25. thedoc00 says:

    By these threats, put the pistols on the table to give them the gentleman’s way out (resign). If they refuse the pistols, the cigarettes and blinds are on the next table while the firing squad is warming up in the court yard.

    Liked by 1 person

  26. mylabs5 says:

    Trump has to send a directive in writing to the SECNAV. Once he does that it will become official. A tweet is not official.
    Then the SECNAV can “officially” disobey and either resign or be removed. I don’t think there is any love lost for this guy as he is a civilian appointee and not military. If he refuses then Trump will replace him with the deputy.
    Trump’s directive will encompass his orders which should include the removal of Green, lowering of rank and reassignment. He’ll probably retire instead of the other embarrassing options. He won’t be missed…just as McCraven was not. SEaLs hate brass.
    Read Carl Higbie’s take on what’s going on. He nails it.
    “The brass of today has forgotten that they trained us to be war fighters not politicians. We are rough around the edges, scrappy, many of us love to party, sometimes arrogant and occasionally impulsive but we get the damn job done and that should be the most important thing. So, Admiral Green, the way you and your commanders have “made an example” out of good men who serve honorably is the real problem. You treat allegations as convictions WITHOUT evidence.

    You want recommendations on how to address the problem? Stop giving medals to a Navy JAG officers that prosecute your own men. The embarrassment of the President of the United States rescinding a medal should contrast YOUR culture problem. Get the lawyers off the battlefield and if you unleash the dogs of war do not be surprised if we bite.”

    https://www.carlhigbie.com/2019/08/former-navy-seals-open-letter-to-navy-command-seals-arent-the-problem/
    As I’ve posted before, the Pentagon needs an enema. NOW!
    The SEaLs know that Trump supports them. They will remain loyal to him.

    Liked by 4 people

    • Beau Geste says:

      Despite being a lawyer, it is clear to me that another DOD need is to severely reduce the number, rank, and authority of DOD lawyers. A military that actually needs to fear being bullied by its own lawyers cannot be effective at its essential function, which is to devastate and defeat our enemies. For the salary of each lawyer fired, we get at least 2 functional warfighters. But we get much more capability by freeing our warfighters from fear of being harassed and attacked by DOD lawyers, as was done to Office Gallagher.

      The behavior of the supernumerary DoD lawyer prosecutors was like the Mewler investigation – wrong, unnecessary, and unrelentingly destructive to an effective fighting force.

      Like

      • doofusdawg says:

        The defense department is first and foremost the retirement and health care provider for the defense department. Much like the legacy costs of the auto industry the same thing will happen to the public sector as soon as a president prevents them from continuously raising taxes… wait.

        Like

  27. diogenes says:

    The nation would probably be better served with CPO Gallagher as secretary of the Navy.

    Like

  28. Marygrace Powers says:

    Kaine, Schiff, Gabbard Planning Another NATO Trump Coup Friday In Halifax

    by brassballs.blog (excerpts)

    “What are NATO’s plans for impeaching President Donald J. Trump?

    New plots unfold at the Halifax International Forum in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada on Friday.

    Halifax is to NATO as Norfolk, Virginia is to the U.S. Navy and Naval Academy.

    Ukraine is at the core of NATO’s meetings in another attempt to take down Trump.

    Ukraine has never been a member of NATO ……

    According to NATO, it received a TRILLION dollars from Congress.

    The Pentagon’s Defense Budget is $792 billion.

    NATO admits to having 65,000 troops and 18 war ships.

    Russia’s military budget is $65 billion.

    Where is NATO’s trillions of dollars going?

    Lucky figures (LF’s) for the admirals and generals.

    BRIBES – KICKBACKS – PAYOFFS ”

    https://brassballs.blog/home/nato-plot-coup-trump-canada-ukraine-david-j-kramer-halifax-international-forum-mccain-fiona-hill-russian-dossier-cia-hillary-clinton-tulsi-gabbard-adam-schiff-dnc-mike-rogers-nsa-fisa-weapons-convention-diversion

    It’s CLEARLY just a CONTINUATION of the COUP. If you read
    this excellent article by brassballs.blog it is so apparent. POTUS is exposing
    the embeds throughout our government/military and THEY ARE PISSED.

    As sundance stated from day one/
    TRILLIONS – TRILLIONS -TRILLION at stake.

    And one last thing ,,,,

    NATO promotes a one world government/Source is NATO.

    Like

  29. Southrider says:

    The Navy didn’t Court Martial the academy drone that surrendered boats, crews, weapons, crypto, the works to the Iranians and helped with propaganda while held.
    Now this.
    Disgusting.
    Reduce in rank and discharge all flag officers involved, fire the secretariat folks.

    Like

  30. omyword says:

    Lets remember, obama gutted high command and put his robots who answer only to him in charge. They still take their marching orders from a treasonist punk.

    Clean house Mr. President!!!!

    Liked by 1 person

  31. tav144 says:

    It’s also being reported in the Navy Times:
    https://www.navytimes.com/news/your-navy/2019/11/23/report-navy-secretary-backs-admirals-in-tussle-with-trump-over-seal-trident/

    If you pay attention to this, you’ll see that what they are waiting on is a formal order by POTUS, a written directive. They don’t recognize his “tweet” as an order.

    “Late Thursday, however, CHINFO Brown seemed to offer a way out of the ring for Trump and his admirals, assuring Navy Times in an email that the sea service would follow “the lawful orders of the President.

    “We will do so in case of an order to stop the administrative review of SOC Gallagher’s professional qualification. We are aware of the President’s tweet and we are awaiting further guidance.”

    Like

    • Chilidog says:

      They know what the president wants. They are being insubordinate. It’s intellectually dishonest to pretend that they’re just waiting for a “lawful” order to carry out the president’s wishes.

      Like

  32. Seadoc66 says:

    My Fellow Americans

    Just a couple of comments to bring a few of my fellow Americans up to date on goings on in the federal government since the departure of Ronald Reagan (please note, I left active military duty the year before Ronny left). Can’t speak for all of the swamp’s current personnel policies, but a couple I will mention might give you some insight as to why so many members of the military officers’ corps keep stepping in something and/or tripping over their own lips. First, certain officers selected for O-4 (major/lieutenant commander) are offered a lobotomy, supposedly to clear their minds of any matter that might cause independent thinking. Officers selected for O-6 (colonel/captain) are offered a flapotomy (a procedure in which a flap is cut in the abdomen with surgical Velcro applied in such a manner that the officer can drop the flap in order to see where they are going with their head up their rectum). Finally those officers selected for O-7 (brigadier general/rear admiral) are sent to a sailing course at the Naval Academy where they are taught the fine art/skill of tacking into both starboard and port winds. Hope this explains some of the reasons the leadership coming from most of the officer corps for the last 30 odd years has been marginal at best. The only thing they have excelled at is turning what should be short aggressive skirmishes with clearly defined objectives into long draw out fiascos designed to line the pockets of the military industrial complex and their favorite politicians!

    Soldier/Cop/Grunt

    Liked by 3 people

  33. H.R. says:

    Whoa! That backpedaling was so hard and fast the chain came off the sprocket!

    Liked by 1 person

  34. Wait–I thought a uniform conveyed the automatic moral high ground. I guess that’s only for Deep State desk jockeys trying to overthrow the government, not for SEALS out there in the thick of it.

    You want to take a medal? Take one from that fat-face doughboy traitor. Ukraine will sell him more.

    Liked by 1 person

  35. appraisher says:

    It appears that what we’re seeing is Obama’s military appointees attempting to start a military coup against Trump, to go along with the left’s Legislative, Judicial and Executive Branch coup.

    They’re using the democrat House (Impeachment Coup), Obama appointed Federal judges (overstepping legal boundaries), now it’s Obama’s left-over military brass to keep the coup going. Can anyone see a pattern here? …I knew you could.

    …and McConnell continues to fiddle while America burns.

    Liked by 1 person

  36. H. Hawke says:

    Like

  37. Big Jake says:

    Admiral, you’re fired.

    Liked by 1 person

  38. H. Hawke says:

    SECNAV76
    @secnav76

    I would like to further state that in no way, shape, or form did I ever threaten to resign. That has been incorrectly reported in the press. I serve at the pleasure of the President

    Like

    • H. Hawke says:

      Like

  39. B Woodward says:

    It’s time for the Commander-in-Chief Trump to fire a shot across the bow of the Navy–indeed the entire Department of Defense. POTUS should reopen the investigation of the missing TRILLIONS from the Pentagon’s funding.

    One day before 9-11 Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld held a press conference to disclose that over $2,000,000,000,000 in Pentagon funds could not be accounted for. Rumsfeld stated: “According to some estimates we cannot track $2.3 trillion in transactions.” According to a report by the Inspector General, the Pentagon cannot account for 25 percent of what it spends. (Wow, the DoD makes Hillary’s State Department look like a piker when it comes to money going missing.) The investigation of the missing Pentagon trillions was buried on 9-11. Oh, and was it really just an amazing coincidence that the missile–I mean the aircraft that hit the Pentagon (with a 4,600 ft perimeter) on 9-11 destroyed the Office of Naval Intelligence that was investigating the DoD funding irregularities? Fast forward to 2016, at the end of usurper Obama’s watch, there were reports that another $6 TRILLION was missing from the Pentagon.

    http://911research.wtc7.net/sept11/trillions.html
    Missing Trillions – Rumsfeld Buries Admission of Missing 2+ Trillion Dollars in 9/10/01 Press Conference

    Like

  40. RLTW says:

    Spencer, Green and Vindman need to be dragged into the wood line and shot for treason ASAP. President Trump, issue the lawful order to do so and I don’t know any Special Operator Whom I’ve Worked with in the last 30 years who wouldn’t be happy to carry out that order.

    These General Officers are openly engaged in treason. Just give the order President Trump.

    Like

  41. Joemama says:

    This article was written by Maggie Haberman: “White House correspondent for NYTimes, analyst for CNN.”

    I wonder how much the C_A pays her to propagate the lies.

    Like

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