Acting Navy secretary blasts ousted aircraft carrier captain as 'stupid' in address to ship's crew

[orangecrush]

Source: CNN

(CNN)The Acting Secretary of the Navy Thomas Modly blasted the now ousted commander of the USS Theodore Roosevelt as "stupid" in an address to the ship's crew Monday morning, in remarks obtained by CNN.

Modly told the crew that their former commander, Capt. Brett Crozier, was either "too naive or too stupid" to be in command or that he intentionally leaked to the media a memo in which he warned about coronavirus spreading aboard the aircraft carrier and urged action to save his sailors.

The acting secretary accused Crozier of committing a "betrayal" and creating a "big controversy" in Washington by disseminating the warning so widely.
"It was a betrayal. And I can tell you one other thing: because he did that he put it in the public's forum and it is now a big controversy in Washington, DC," Modly said, according to a transcript of remarks Modly made to the crew, copies of which have been provided to CNN by multiple Navy officials.

Read more: https://www.cnn.com/2020/04/06/politics/uss-tr-crozier-modly/index.html

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Dear God help us.

[BusyBeingBest]

1. I just commented on another thread, how very unusual and damaging this is--

I can't believe it's happening. If the Navy felt they had to remove him from command, then they should have done so discreetly. This is now a pile of political vomit.

[Laelth]

19. Hear! Hear! n/t

-Laelth

[PatSeg]

34. Apparently he is emulating his boss

It appears that there is a pandemic of stupidity and arrogance ever since Trump became president.

[wnylib]

56. Incredibly unprofessional address

to the crew by the acting secretary.

I have been watching Winds of War and and the sequel, War and Remembrance. This address to the crew reminds me of the scenes in which Adolf ranted irrationally at military officers.

[yaesu]

2. right from the tRump book on morale boosting. And all of this has shown our enemies how very

vulnerable our military is when bozo the clown as president.

[Newest Reality]

14. Sorry,

Bozo would have done a far better job and, no matter what, it would have been a barrel of laughs and lots of fun. I mean, if he didn't like the press' questions, it would have been a pie and a spritz with soda water as a sign of disapproval, etc.

[yaesu]

21. Very true & that would at least make the pressers a little more tolerable. On a side note, our

local TV Bozo's last words when he retired was throwing a big fit about big government & high taxes and that was way before the
T-bagger movement

[smb]

58. Yes, That's Unfair To Bozo

If only this maladminstration were full of funny clowns like Bozo and Clarabelle and Ronald McDonald instead of evil clowns like Pennywise and Sideshow Bob and the Joker.

[sdfernando]

64. The beatings will continue until morale improves. /nt

[LakeVermilion]

3. He shouldn't be saying anything...

He was never approved by Congress. He is only a pretend secretary cause he hasn't been vetted.

[niyad]

4. I am absolutely certain that mouldy got a standing ovafion. Are there any sharks around Guam.

[Aristus]

5. I'm sure that endeared Modly to Crozier's crew.

One thing I know for certain about service people. You never disrespect a universally-admired commanding officer.

[unblock]

6. in my movie version of this moment, the crew throws him overboard....

[dhill926]

8. you read my mind....

[sakabatou]

12. Same

[onethatcares]

24. one piece at a time

from a gangplank to nowhere.

gaud these people are toadies, not a spine among the lot.

[christx30]

44. Or just leaves the room, leaving him steamed

on stage, complaining about the disrespect. I’d like that better. People walking out on these people, not listening to them. Not showing them any regard.

[MarcA]

49. +1,000 n/t

[groundloop]

59. Simply turning their backs on him would have been great

I'm sure the crew was ordered to endure that speech, he should have been talking to the backs of their heads after that remark.

Damn, that was a dumb-assed move that's going to backfire bigly against tRump. Should have just kept his mouth shut.

[Dem2theMax]

61. Along with a bunch of chum.

[LastLiberal in PalmSprings]

74. ...after having spent the previous six hours chumming for sharks.

Making that kind of speech over the ship's loudspeaker was a stupid thing to do with any captain, let alone one who got a standing ovation as he left the ship -- especially when a video of that send off went viral.

If I were a crewman on that ship -- and actually throughout the Navy -- I would interpret the comments of the acting Secretary of the Navy (is there anybody in the Trump administration who isn't "acting"?) as being more concerned about the optics of the situation than the well being of the crew.

I'm not surprised so many positions in Fat Donnie's administration are "acting," given that Trump himself is acting like he's the president in a reality show.

[unblock]

75. the statement is pretty much an admission that he was fired because the media picked up the story

they're blaming him for either telling the media (which they admit they have no evidence of) or of not figuring out that the media would pick up the story (which is clearly something navy personnel need to be experts at ).

[Turbineguy]

7. I wonder how many people

pronounce this guy's name "Moldy".

[riversedge]

9. This vile outburst also berates all sailors on the--and their families. #RememberInNovermber

[GopherGal]

20. Who's Committing a Betrayal Now?

absolutely disgusting.

[Under The Radar]

10. So There is the proof

That the Trump syndrome has now infected military leadership, and likely soon to be the new creed of “assassinate the character of those who stray off message or tell the truth”

[Happy Hoosier]

23. He is not "military" leadership

He is a hack political appointee.

[sarge43]

25. Thank you. n/t

[jeffreyi]

41. This.

And to be so disrespectful, in that context...crazy.

[still_one]

11. When this administration and the people he appointed applaud the actions of Edward Gallagher, this

should come as no surprise

[padah513]

16. +1

[turbinetree]

13. Since your a fucking "ACTING" POS for the navy............................go fuck yourself..........

take that orange horse you ride on and he can go fuck himself, he has no concept of what unit integrity means, none , do you..............................and since you support a traitor from the sounds of it, and that you are are now accusing the Capt'n betrayed his men, how dare you, are you that fucking sick.
I rad and saw it being reported that a asshole someone wants you to take pill he thinks that cure 's everything, are you his lab rat or mouse................. who side are you on anyway, he was fucking IMPEACHED in the House, that means he has no fucking standing............................

I STAND WITH CAPT. CROZIER............................

[sinkingfeeling]

15. Hard to believe Modly ever made it through the Naval Academy.

[scarletwoman]

50. Did he? I was under the impression that he was just a businessman trump crony, not a Navy man.

I'm off to Google to check...

[sarge43]

52. FWIW, Wiki says

graduated Annapolis, chopper pilot, seven years in all up.

He should turn in his class ring.

[scarletwoman]

57. Got it, thank you. It really is hard to believe he ever served - has he no pride? (nt)

[sarge43]

63. You're welcome.

Pride?!

When one signs on with Moron, pride is permanently left with the WH gate guard who then puts it in the medical waste can.

I wonder if there's a video. I'd love to see how the Teddy's crew reacted -- if Moldy got the slow four chap and out salute.

[scarletwoman]

66. There's audio - see post #40 (link below):

https://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1014&pid=2464389

I haven't heard of any video, so far.

I don't think I'll ever understand what kind of disease of mind and character impels anyone to work for the Moron.

[stopdiggin]

70. those that think there are no Trumpers

in the armed services, are seriously deluding themselves.
And .. we all know that this particular brand of political persuasion .. lends itself more to posturing, bombast and tribalism .. than to critical thinking.

Annapolis = not entirely stupid, (although not necessarily a rock star either)
Trumper = knock 25 points off the top

[Laelth]

17. Bad form. n/t

-Laelth

[NCjack]

18. In the next DEM administration, Capt. Brett Crozier should be Sec of Navy,

with instructions to clean out the cockroaches.

[DavidDvorkin]

22. I bet that went over well.

[underpants]

39. No kidding.

Over the PA system.

[Bev54]

40. It did not got well, as one would expect

The crew was yelling profanities at him.

https://www.rawstory.com/2020/04/listen-sailors-yell-profanities-at-trumps-acting-navy-secretary-while-he-trashes-fired-captain/?utm_source=push_notifications

[calimary]

60. GOOD!

That crew revered their captain. We all saw the send-off they gave him. He fought for THEM and THEIR safety and health. He was all about protecting his men.

I bet they'll remember that for the rest of their lives.

[DavidDvorkin]

68. Good for them.

[C_U_L8R]

26. Bad Actor.

Modly needs to resign. Trump's vanity does not come before our sailors' lives.

[Thomas Hurt]

27. This what you get when you put in acting appointees and skip the vetting.

You get lackeys who parrot the Dear Leader's authoritarian bee ess instead of an independent and competent agency head.

Trump is a fn idiot who install fn idiots.

If this gets legs, Trump will be looking for another acting fn idiot.

[soryang]

28. How did that port call in Danang turn out?

Did the administration Trump, Pomeo, Esper, Stilwell, and O'Brien score all the points against China they thought they would?

Was it worth it?

[Bigredhunk]

29. Ugh

Go fuck yourself. Sir.

[Lonestarblue]

30. What will it take for General Mattis to finally speak up?

He knows that Trump has decimated our military preparedness by appointing sycophants to top positions as acting leaders. He doesn’t have to talk about military preparedness, but his observations on Trump’s incompetence might get more people to stop listening to Trump and self quarantine instead of keeping businesses (and beaches) open and enabling the spread. General Kelly could shed a lot of light on Trump’s actions and decision-making criteria. We know his sole criterion is self enrichment at the expense of everyone else, but his followers have yet to get their heads out of the Trump quicksand.

[atreides1]

36. You're kidding

Mattis, is a good Marine...that's why he resigned as Defense Secretary...because he didn't have the guts to stay until Trump fired him!!!

Don't count on Mattis for much...he's covering his own ass, and making sure his ability to earn money isn't impeded!!!!

[keithbvadu2]

31. "Stupid"? Not the word a leader would use in public about his troops.

"Stupid"? Not the word a leader would use in public about his troops.

It is a word that a Trumpster would use.

[Chainfire]

32. Stupid people

Do not go through Nuclear Power School, learn to fly jets, and command carriers. What is stupid is to make such a comment.

[Vinca]

33. Asshole. It's all performance art for the King's benefit.

I hope the next POTUS makes Crozier the next Secretary of the Navy and the Trump sycophants are reassigned to garbage duty.

[2naSalit]

35. What if they entire NAVY decided to

have a mutiny against the CIC?

[underpants]

37. Over the PA system?!?!

[SunSeeker]

45. Right? And he fired Crozier over criticism in an email. Now who's the betraying leaker?

To use his words, one has to be pretty "naive or stupid" to think blasting something over the loudspeaker of a fucking aircraft carrier while in port is not going to leak!

He is clearly too stupid and neive to be Acting Navy Secretary. He must resign.

[Catherine Vincent]

38. This makes me so damn mad!

Dude has his head so far up Trump's ass it's ridiculous!

[ThoughtCriminal]

42. Lucky the crew didn't keel-haul him

And on an aircraft carrier, that would be pretty intense.

[SunSeeker]

43. Modly does exactly what he accused Crozier of: leaking criticism to the public. Resign Modly!

Worse, instead of an email, he did it over a ship's loudspeaker while in port. Modly has no business being in that job. His panicked and cracked under pressure. He has no clue how to lead sailors.

[Mercurian]

46. In other news..

..the beatings will continue until morale improves. Way to break the essential trust in the chain of command Modly. Cheeto Mussolini couldn't have done better himself.

[Historic NY]

47. How the tables turned...

Wait the SEc of the Navy is upset that the Capt. broadcast what he was saying. OMG how the tables were turned. Sure sounds like the Sec of Navy's deaf ear, is what caused this entire event. Keelhaul him!!!!

[iluvtennis]

48. And that is supposed to increase morale on that ship - yeah right :-( BTW, has there been any proof

that Capt Crozier did the leak? I trust no one in the trump admin and suspect that they leaked the email to the email, not Crozier.

[bronxiteforever]

51. Thomas Modly taking care of his palm tree aboard the Roosevelt

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

53. I'm surprised he even made it off the ship without having to swim.

[captain queeg]

54. Like I posted earlier; I'm running out of words to describe these Jack wads

[SWBTATTReg]

55. Let us see/examine who has been pissed off by this corrupt and disgusting administration...

-senior citizens (their future SS benefits being reduced);
-military personnel;
-citizens of urban areas of aid being withheld or not provided;
-women;
-non white American citizens of this country;
-immigrants (legal especially);
-TX folks who had their property illegally seized to build a damn ineffective wall;
-99% of us that didn't receive the bulk of the 2017 tax cuts (and 'jobs' bill);
-city of NYC;
-residents of all states, withholding aid and help for all of the states, claiming that the stockpiles is 'ours'.
-LIST GOES ON

I'm sure that there are tons more that can be added.

[world wide wally]

62. Krusty's cousin clown "Moldy"

[bluestarone]

65. I'm betting money that Biden just

Got a SHIP FULL of VOTES here in NOV.!!!!!

[barbtries]

67. i'd love to know how the crew took that news.

Link to tweet

[lillypaddle]

69. Fuck you Moldy or Motley or

whatever. Another nasty POS put in power by the nasty POSTUS

[jmowreader]

71. I don't want Modly keelhauled

I want him brought back on active duty, reduced to Seaman Recruit, and assigned to duty as a deckhand on a garbage barge.

[PatrickforO]

72. Trump's mishandling of this ENTIRE thing has created a big controversy

in Washington. And this piece of crap Modley hasn't spent a fricking day of his disgusting life in the Navy. Just another Trump crony who is more interested in lining his pockets than in serving the people of this country.

[riversedge]

73. Transcript of "Acting" Navy Sec: said to the sailors: -Crozier "too naive or too stupid" to be

Ward Carroll @wardcarroll
Transcript of Acting SECNAV's recent 1MC remarks to the crew of Theodore Roosevelt. (He's aboard.) Long story short, he's convinced he did the right thing.

Link to tweet

?s=20


! Acting Navy Secretary Thomas Modly told the crew of the USS Theodore Roosevelt that their former commander Capt. Brett Crozier -- who warned of dangerous conditions on the ship -- was either "too naive or too stupid" to be in command.

Link to tweet

?s=20



After a video surfaced of crew members chanting his name, Acting Secretary of the Navy Thomas Modly blasted Captain Brett Crozier as "stupid" in an address to the ship's crew this morning in remarks that were piped over the PA system.

Link to tweet

?s=20

[Gothmog]

76. This acting Secretary of the Navy needs to be fired

Link to tweet

[sarge43]

78. Probably lieutenant (O-3)

He bailed at seven years.

Academy grad should have put a couple of stars on his promotion jacket. Don't how much promotion sugar Navy chopper pilots get. Legal, that's a non-line job, not exactly a fast forward field. Finally, why did he get a major career field switch?

Given that 'speech', I'm thinking he's an example of the Peter Principle, promoted beyond his abilities.

[sarge43]

80. You're welcome

Don't know very much about the USN, but I'm guessing a CV captain would have a lieutenant's remains spread on his morning toast.

[Gothmog]

81. This asshole was ordered to apologize

Link to tweet

?s=20