By Tristan Bishop –

Defense Secretary Mark Esper revealed Monday that it was President Trump who ultimately ordered Eddie Gallagher be allowed to retire as a Navy SEAL.

A Military  jury convicted Gallagher of posing for pictures with the corpse of an Islamic State fighter in 2017 but acquitted him of murder in the detainee’s death.

Gallagher also was cleared of charges of deliberately firing on unarmed civilians.

Defense Secretary Mark Esper asked the secretary of the Navy, Richard Spencer, to resign over his clash with President Trump over Gallagher and on Sunday, Spencer resigned.

In his resignation letter, he wrote “I no longer share the same understanding as the Commander in Chief who appointed me, in regards to the key principle of good order and discipline.”

When asked Monday about Navy Sec. Spencer, President Trump said “we’ve been thinking about that for a long time. That just didn’t happen.” The President also said, “We’re gonna protect our war fighters.”