Authors Note:
I have reached out to Dave Phillips of the New York Times hundreds of times in the last few months for comment on this story. I wanted to have a conversation about his reporting on the Eddie Gallagher case, and his far out assumptions and slander. Phillips, and many of his New York Times colleagues refused comment. Many SEALs commented to me on background with the promise I would not use their names. No names appear in this story. On June 1st, 2020 Eddie Gallagher filed suit against the Times.
The best and worst thing to ever happen to Chief Eddie Gallagher was the President Of The United States taking up his case. On One hand, President Trump almost undoubtedly saved Gallagher’s life. The President saw something wrong and swooped in to fix it. Is that not what we hired this guy for? Trump was widely criticized for getting involved in a case of a special operator who was being wrongly accused of killing an Iraqi prisoner. He jumped over the Secretary of the Navy. He tweeted about the case. Its not presidential we heard. Trump’s unhinged, and all those left wing buzzwords. Me personally? I was ecstatic. Finally, we have a politician who’s willing to cut through the political bullshit, see a wrong, and promptly right that wrong. It’s important to note, the President never talked about Gallagher’s guilt nor innocence. He simply stated Gallagher should be able to defend himself and get a fair trial. The same fairness that is given to every United States citizen, never mind our war fighters.
I have been looking into and following this case since it’s inception. I must say as a soldier and a war veteran, I always side with the men in the arena. I know the feeling of being on ground, and having the worry of some suit back home who is going to pick apart your every move. Meanwhile this person could not spell the country your operating in nor could they find it on a map. That being said, if I see something wrong, I have no problem calling that out. I was in country when SSG Robert Bales walked off base and mowed down innocent civilians in Kandahar, and promptly put the target on every United States soldier, Airman, Sailor and Marine on ground. We were pissed. We saw a major uptick in attacks against us. I supported the death penalty for Bales who is serving a life sentence at Leavenworth.
This article is less about the case, which has been written and talked about ad nauseum. The details are basically this Gallagher was accused by his subordinates at SEAL team 7 of killing an unarmed civilian, an old man, also an unarmed little girl, and a Iraqi detainee. The minute the allegations came out the left wing media of course supported the charges, because most of the left has little use for men in uniform, but the story was not a political football. Yet. As you know by now, Gallagher was acquitted of all charges. The men who accused him changed their story on the stand, some outright lied, and one even came forward and said he was the one who put his hand over the breathing apparatus that kept air in the lungs of the dying Iraqi detainee before he expired. The bottom line, Gallagher was dragged through a long detainment, his kids were dragged out of his home at gunpoint while NCIS and the FBI tossed the place. His name was forever ruined to some people in the SEAL community. My question is, for what exactly?
Let me tell you a dirty little secret, even at the highest levels, petty jealousy exists. Personalities clash. Eddie Gallagher is almost certainly guilty of pissing in someone’s Cheerios. Hardly a crime worthy of confinement, slander, and defamation.
The other issue Gallagher had after his acquittal was the fact that the Navy wanted to take his SEAL status away. Which is shown in the form of a ”Trident” which is worn over your left breast, right above you heart. The president again tweeted to Navy brass to stop worrying about getting their pound of flesh off Gallagher and get back to the business of warfighting. Again, I cheered this from the sideline, the President saw a wrong and made it right. That is exactly what I hired him for. The hacks in Washington and their media cheerleaders are the exact swamp that needed draining. Gallagher himself was caught up in the mud of that swamp.
Enter the New York Times and Dave Phillips. The New York Times was at one time the pulse and heartbeat of America. Now it’s a liberal rag that is basically the media arm of the Democratic party. The sole purpose of this papers existence is to take down Donald Trump. Not bring you fair and balanced news. I can only imagine the beta males sitting around the lunch room at the Times office, with man buns and skinny jeans talking about taking down this vicious Navy Seal. Clearly insane from years of war, he killed civilians. Even worse Donald Trump our mortal enemy has shown support for Gallagher’s fair trial. I am not sure Dave Phillips even believes half of what he writes about Gallagher, but it furthers the anti-Trump agenda. It furthers the anti-America agenda. Eddie Gallagher is just a means to an end, a pawn in the game.
Phillips Twitter history is interesting. Tweeting pictures of Gallagher posing with a corpse amongst the platoon with the caption: ”This is Donald Trump’s Hero” I am not going to link the tweet here. I have never heard Trump call Gallagher his ”Hero” I am just not sure what the problem is with the President supporting and championing a special operations warrior. Shouldn’t the President be the biggest cheerleader and supporter of warfighters?? What exactly I ask is wrong with that? We know Gallagher is not a murderer, a system that desperately needed to nail him, absolutely could not nail him. Why? Because he is stone cold innocent. Imagine hating someone so much that you would destroy an innocent man with children, who has fought for you to type emails and swipe on Tinder, because your upset Hillary Clinton lost an election.
The media is truly the enemy of the people.
The most damning and honestly embarrassing commentary has come from Gallagher’s post-acquittal life. Gallagher was able to retire as a chief, with his trident intact and has moved on to have a bit of a high public profile. Having his own line of apparel and being a regular on some popular podcasts has gotten the left wing media in a complete lather. Headlines like ”Gallagher using his war criminal status” to make money in the next phase of his life is downright embarrassing and honestly slanderous. I will say again Gallagher was acquitted. The same people that write that career criminals are not given a fair shake when they complete sentences afford no such commentary to Gallagher, who again is a war hero who was completely acquitted. Then again, Donald Trump did not back up anyone but Gallagher. Sensing a theme?
I talked to just about anyone who would listen to me about Gallagher’s reputation amongst his fellow SEAL’s. The overwhelming thought was Gallagher was screwed. Speaking off the record, one SEAL told me Gallagher was a victim of NCIS careerism, the system unwilling to admit they made a mistake in charging him, and not willing to reverse course on a total sham job. Gallagher’s rep in that community is solid. The command at SEAL team 7 went as far as too counsel anyone wearing the #FREEEDDIE T-shirt and outwardly frowning upon anyone who showed support for a guy who was completely dragged through the mud.
The reports on the accusers are much more murky. The loudest accuser Dalton Tolbert went on to screen and was accepted into Naval Special Warfare Development Group. The famed ”SEAL team 6” famous for the Bin Laden raid and the Captain Phillips rescue. How a man could punch up in his career after all that is a whole other article. Finding details about Tolbert is rather difficult considering he is a current special operator in a very secretive unit. That story is yet to be written.
There are so many wrongs in this story. The careerism of NCIS officers who wanted the Gallagher conviction on their next OER who were willing to sacrifice him for that. Careerism is literally killing the military. The left wing media crucifying Gallagher to get at the President is still the most egregious journalism I have ever witnessed. Dave Phillips should be fired. He also should be sued. I hope Gallagher sues Phillips and gets him under oath somewhere in a court room someday. Of course Phillips wont be fired. His partners in the DNC wouldn’t allow that. He continues to make money and a name off his defamation of Gallagher right to this very moment, and will never defend it when I call him out.
Eddie Gallagher should be celebrated as one of the many who have shouldered the heaviest burden since 9/11. He should have been able to ride off into the sunset with his name intact. Why the hell do we shoot our heroes, I will never understand it. It started with the most divisive president in history Barack Obama, who demonized military and police and set the national narrative that unfortunately we are still fighting. As I sit here on 9/11, the Nineteenth anniversary of the attacks, I do feel a twinge of sadness for Gallagher, he is the exact type of man we should be celebrating. If for nothing else the light needs to be shined on how fake news and pathetic journalism can ruin reputations, hurt children, and all for what?
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the position of Heroes Media Group
