https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/06/us/politics/coronavirus-navy-secretary-roosevelt-crozier.html
Like much in the Trump administration, 
what began as a seemingly straightforward challenge — the arrival of 
coronavirus onboard a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier — has now 
engulfed the military, leading to far-reaching questions of undue 
command influence and the demoralization of young men and women who 
promise to protect the country. At its heart, the crisis aboard the 
Theodore Roosevelt has become a window into what matters, and what does 
not, in an administration where remaining on the right side of a 
mercurial president is valued above all else.
Mr. Modly’s decision to remove Captain 
Crozier without first conducting an investigation went contrary to the 
wishes of both the Navy’s top admiral, Michael M. Gilday, the chief of 
naval operations, and the military’s top officer, Gen. Mark A. Milley, 
the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
“I am appalled at the content of his 
address to the crew,” retired Adm. Mike Mullen, the chairman of the 
Joint Chiefs of Staff under Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama, 
said in a telephone interview, referring to Mr. Modly.
Mr. Modly, 
Admiral Mullen said, “has become a vehicle for the president. He 
basically has completely undermined, throughout the T.R. situation, the 
uniformed leadership of the Navy and the military leadership in 
general.”
 Several current and former Navy and 
national security officials said the Roosevelt episode illustrated how 
civilian leaders in this administration made questionable decisions 
based on what they feared Mr. Trump’s response would be.