‘I don’t know him’: Trump distances himself from ex-Navy secretary despite photos of them together

Thomas Modly was recorded calling a captain ‘stupid’ and later resigned over the dispute, which Donald Trump called ‘unfortunate’

Donald Trump entered the dispute surrounding an ex-US Navy captain dismissed over coronavirus concerns by distancing himself from the former US Navy secretary who oversaw the firing.

“I don’t know him”, said Mr Trump on Tuesday as he accepted the resignation of the acting US Navy secretary Thomas Modly.

On social media, an image circulated of the pair seated together during a sporting fixture between the US Navy and Army – contradicting the president’s comments.

Mr Modly is the latest senior official to find himself among those the president has appeared to “not know” during controversy, despite contradicting evidence.

The president said he did not know Gordon Snodland very well once the US ambassador to the EU had been a witness during the impeachment process. The president had personally nominated him to the post in May 2018.

Mr Trump also distanced himself from his own campaign chairman, Paul Manafort, who was sentenced in the aftermath of the Russia investigation. The president told Fox News that he “didn’t know Manafort well,” despite his position.

“I wouldn’t have asked him. I don’t know him. I didn’t speak to him. But he did that I just think to end that problem. And in really many ways, that was a really unselfish thing for him to do.”, said Mr Trump on the ex-US navy secretary.

Mr Modly resigned from his position on Tuesday afternoon following a public disagreement with an ousted aircraft captain and Democratic lawmakers who had called for the secretary’s resignation.

The outgoing navy secretary used his resignation letter to thank Mr Trump and the defense secretary Mark Esper for their confidence in him, according to Politico.

The president had suggested on Monday that he would enter the dispute, before accepting Mr Modly’s resignation and commenting that “The whole thing was very unfortunate,”

Mr Trump did comment on the actions of USS Theodore Roosevelt captain, Brett Crozier, who Mr Modly had dismissed last week because of a written warning about the dangers of coronavirus spreading amongst US sailors.

“I hate seeing bad things happen, man made a mistake. But you shouldn’t be writing letters, and you’re in the military — you’re a captain of a great ship.”, said Mr Trump. “He didn’t have to be Ernest Hemingway.”

Sailors on-board the USS Roosevelt were told by Mr Modly that captain Crozier had been “naive and stupid” to write a letter, according to a leaked audio tape. He later defended the dismissal by saying that the letter posed a security risk to the US Navy.

Mr Modly had admitted that he was “deeply sorry for some of the words and for how they spread across the media landscape like a wildfire,”

Democratic members of Congress publicly backed the ex-aircraft carrier captain and denounced Mr Modly’s actions despite the apology.

New York senator Chuck Shumer said on Tuesday that it was “good” that the secretary had resigned

He said on Twitter: “Captain Crozier spoke up to protect his crew. Acting Navy Secretary Modly’s words and actions were insulting to those under his responsibility”. ​