Trump Indicates He May Revisit Pardoning Accused War Criminals After Stinging Attacks

Donald Trump indicated Friday that he may take some extra time to consider his perplexing plan to pardon accused war criminals for Memorial Day.

The idea — heavily touted by Fox News — was to pardon certain servicemen either convicted or charged with war crimes . Trump told reporters outside the White House that the idea has turned out to be a “little bit controversial.”

Former military officials have spoken out strongly against the plan, and veterans tweeted numerous angry comments , saying that pardoning war criminals denigrates service by members of the military who have acted with honor.

“Some of these soldiers are people that have fought hard, long,” Trump told reporters, referring to accused war criminals, as he left for a trip to Japan. “We teach them how to be great fighters, and then when they fight, sometimes they get really treated very unfairly.”

So “we’re going to take a look at it,” he added. “I haven’t done anything yet. I haven’t made any decisions. There’s two or three of them right now. It’s a little bit controversial.”

As for members of the military who haven’t yet been tried on war crime charges, he said it’s “very possible that I’ll let the trials go on, and I’ll make my decision after the trial.”

One of the men Trump is considering pardoning is Navy SEAL Edward “Eddie” Gallagher, who is charged with firing on civilians and fatally stabbing a captured, unarmed teenage ISIS fighter in Iraq in 2017. Seven members of Gallagher’s team reported his behavior, and he allegedly threatened them for speaking out. His trial is scheduled to begin Monday at the Naval base in San Diego, and his fellow SEALs are scheduled to testify against him , according to the Navy Times.

Others who may be up for a pardon include a former Blackwater security contractor  who was found guilty of shooting dozens of unarmed Iraqis, and Maj. Mathew Golsteynan, an Army Green Beret accused of killing an unarmed Afghan  in 2010.

Several lawmakers have harshly criticized Trump’s pardon plan. And top former military officials have warned that pardons could encourage lawless behavior and sabotage order and command vital to protecting the safety of civilians and U.S. service members.