U.S. Navy Secretary says he did not threaten to resign

The U.S. Navy Secretary said on Saturday he did not threaten to resign amid a disagreement with President Donald Trump over whether a Navy SEAL convicted of battlefield misconduct should face a board of peers who may oust him from the elite force. "Contrary to popular belief, I'm still here. I did not threaten to resign," Spencer said at a security conference in Halifax. The New York Times reported earlier on Saturday that Spencer had made the threat.

Spencer said Special Operations Chief Edward Gallagher should face a board of peers because "the process matters for good order and discipline," Reuters reported on Friday. Last Friday, Trump intervened in the case, ordering the Navy to restore Gallagher's rank and pay, and clearing the way for him to retire on a full pension.