President Donald Trump is reportedly considering pardons for several U.S. service members who have been accused or convicted of crimes in war zones, according to a report from The Daily Beast.
The report says the group includes Navy SEAL Special Operations Chief Edward Gallagher, who has been accused of attacking civilians and of killing a detainee. Gallagher has denied wrongdoing and is set to go to trial on May 28. The report also names other service members facing charges or convictions, including Lorance and Golsteyn.
The Daily Beast reports that Fox News host Pete Hegseth, an Iraq War veteran and a friend and informal adviser to the president, has pushed Trump for months to back the service members. Three sources told the outlet that Hegseth held several private meetings with Trump about Gallagher’s case in particular. Hegseth has also spoken about the issue on air, calling the men good guys who made tough calls, and has said pardons would show support for a president “defending the warfighter.”
The report adds that Trump has begun moving paperwork ahead of Memorial Day. Critics quoted in coverage of the story say the pardons would bypass the usual legal review process that earlier presidents followed. Baller Alert has not seen a public response from the White House to this specific report.
None of the pardons have been announced, so this remains a developing story.
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