President intervenes on behalf of Navy SEAL

SAN DIEGO — President Donald Trump has moved to intervene in the case of a San Diego-based Navy SEAL charged with killing an injured ISIS fighter in Iraq.

Trump wrote on Twitter on Saturday morning that “in honor of his past service to our country,” Eddie Gallagher “will soon be moved to less restrictive confinement while he awaits his day in court. Process should move quickly!”

The move comes after months of advocacy from Chief Special Warfare Operator Gallagher’s family and from Rep. Duncan Hunter, R-Calif., and other lawmakers.

Earlier this week, a group of 40 lawmakers signed a letter and held a news conference asking Trump to act on behalf of Gallagher, who has been held at the Navy Consolidated Brig Miramar since his arrest Sept. 11.

Gallagher is charged with multiple war crimes based on allegations from fellow SEALs that, during deployment in 2017, he killed a teenage ISIS fighter brought to his unit for medical treatment. He is accused of stabbing the fighter in the neck.

He is also charged with shooting indiscriminately at civilian noncombatants, hitting two. Navy prosecutors also say Gallagher tried to intimidate witnesses once he found out he was under investigation — the reason he was placed in pretrial confinement.

Gallagher has pleaded not guilty, denying all charges. Some of his advocates say he is innocent, while others say if he did those things he should not be punished for what happens on a battlefield.