“Secretary of Defense Mark T. Esper has asked for the resignation of Secretary of the Navy Richard Spencer after losing trust and confidence in him regarding his lack of candor over conversations with the White House involving the handling of Navy SEAL Eddie Gallagher … The president did not pardon Gallagher, but he has been insistent that he should be able to retire from the service with his Trident pin.” Navy Secretary Richard V. Spencer Forced Out Amid Controversy Over SEAL Case.

+ WaPo’s David Ignatius: “With Spencer’s firing, Trump has recklessly crossed a line he had generally observed before, which had exempted the military from his belligerent, government-by-tweet interference. But the Gallagher case illustrates how an irascible, vengeful commander in chief is ready to override traditional limits to aid political allies in foreign policy, law enforcement and now military matters.”

+ NYT: Who Is Edward Gallagher, the SEAL the Navy Wants to Expel?

+ Meanwhile, here’s the latest from the impeachment pit from CNN and WaPo.