John Legend calls Trump 'cancer' over handling of Navy SEAL case, says he 'needs to be removed from office as soon as possible'
Singer John Legend called President Donald Trump a "cancer" in a tweet on Monday and said that he needs to be removed from the office. Legend made the statement shortly after the forced resignation of Navy Secretary Richard Spencer over his handling of Navy Seal Edward Gallagher's case.
The EGOT-winning musician also tweeted out a copy of Spencer's resignation letter, which stated that he "cannot in good conscience” obey an order he believes “violates the sacred oath" he took & that he and POTUS disagree on the "key principle of good order and discipline."
Gallagher, a Chief Petty Officer who was accused but acquitted of multiple war crimes in Iraq, was found guilty of violating the law by posing with a corpse of a foreign prisoner and was demoted earlier this year. President Trump, however, restored Gallagher's rank last week, after he was demoted to petty officer first class. The move resulted in tensions between the White House and the Pentagon. Regardless of Trump's decision, the outgoing Navy Secretary Spencer resolved to continue with a disciplinary review in Gallagher's case, where he could be stripped off his titles and pin.
Shortly after Spencer's acknowledgment of the termination letter, Pentagon released a statement saying the Navy Secretary had lost his "trust and confidence" after he allegedly held private conversations with the White House about restoring Gallagher's rank and allowing him to retire with his Trident pin.
However, according to Trump, Spencer was asked to resign because of his handling of the case and "large cost overruns from past administration's contracting procedures" which had not been addressed to his satisfaction, according to Newsweek.
Spencer, in his letter, stated: "The rule of law is what sets us apart from our adversaries. Good order and discipline is what has enabled our victory against foreign tyranny time and again. The constitution and the uniform code of military justice are the shields that set us apart, and the beacons that protect us all. I have strived to ensure our proceedings are fair, transparent and consistent, from the newest recruit to the flag and general officer level."
"Unfortunately it has become apparent that in this respect I no longer share the same understanding with the commander in chief who appointed me," he added.
Legend and his wife Chrissy Teigen have been vocal critics of Trump. The pair, last month, had engaged in a Twitter spat with the president after he slammed "musician @johnlegend and his filthy-mouthed wife" in a tweet for failing to acknowledge his support of criminal justice reform during their appearance on 'NBC Nightly News.'
The singer responded to the attack by tweeting: "Melania, please praise this man. He needs you," while Tiegen infamously called Trump a "pu*y a** b***h."