REFILE-EXCLUSIVE-U.S. Navy secretary backs SEAL's expulsion review, despite Trump objection

U.S. Navy Secretary Richard Spencer said on Friday a Navy SEAL convicted of battlefield misconduct should face a board of peers weighing whether to oust him from the elite force, despite President Donald Trump's assertion that he not be expelled.

"I believe the process matters for good order and discipline," Spencer told Reuters, weighing in on a confrontation between Trump and senior Navy officials over the outcome of a high-profile war-crimes case involving Special Operations Chief Edward Gallagher. Spencer was interviewed during his appearance at the Halifax International Security Forum in Nova Scotia.