Ray Mabus, who served as United States Secretary of the Navy under former President Barack Obama, flattened President Donald Trump on Tuesday for his decision to pardon and then openly celebrate convicted war criminals.
During an interview with CNN's John Berman, Mabus said that letting convicted war criminals such as Clint Lorance off the hook sent a horrific signal to the rest of the military.
"I think the impact is huge, because if people know that there's not going to be any accountability or that you'll be held accountable only if you don't have the right contacts or only if your politics are right... you just can't diminish that impact because the military depends on the chain of command," he explained. "The military depends on good order and discipline. The military depends on doing what's right, following the law. "
Mabus later said that the president's actions were a slap in the face to every member of the American military who has served the country honorably.
"It shows that he does not care for the tens of thousands of Americans who have gone into combat, protecting this country, who have done so honorably, who have done so without breaking any laws," he said. "And to do this, to say that you can commit war crimes and get away with it, to say it doesn't matter what you do, fundamentally misunderstands and fundamentally disrespects everybody in uniform."
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