>>> WE ARE BACK WITH A FOX NEWS
ALERT.
PRESIDENT TRUMP INTERVENING ON
BEHALF OF THREE U.S. SERVICE
MEMBERS ACCUSED OF CONVICTED OF
WAR CRIMES.
THE PRESIDENT ISSUED PARDONS TO
MATTHEW GOLDSTEIN AND CLINT
LORANCE AND RESTORED THE RANK OF
EDDIE GALLAGHER, WHO WORKED
TIRELESSLY TO CLEAR HIS NAME
AFTER BEING ACCUSED AND
EVENTUALLY ACQUITTED OF WAR
CRIMES LAST JULY.
CHIEF PETTY OFFICER EDDIE
GALLAGHER JOINS US NOW.
CHIEF, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR
BEING ON THE PROGRAM.
CONGRATULATIONS.
YOUR INITIAL REACTION WHEN YOU
LEARNED, GOT A PHONE CALL FROM
THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED
STATES, THAT YOU WERE GOING TO
GET YOUR RANK BACK?
>> IT WAS PRETTY SURREAL TO GET
A PHONE CALL FROM THE WHITE
HOUSE AND HAVE THEM TELL YOU
THAT THE PRESIDENT IS ON THE
LINE FOR YOU.
SO I HAD A FEELING THAT IT WAS
COMING BECAUSE THE PRESIDENT HAS
SHOWN THE NATION THAT HE'S BEEN
A MAN OF HIS WORD THIS WHOLE
TIME SINCE HE TOOK OFFICE AND IT
WAS JUST OVERWHELMING.
IT WAS A FEELING OF JOY AND
GRATITUDE TO BE ABLE TO SPEAK TO
HIM AND TO HEAR WHAT THE
DECISION THAT HE WAS MAKING FROM
HIS MOUTH.
>> CAN YOU SHARE A LITTLE BIT
OF WHAT THE PRESIDENT SAID TO
YOU?
>> SURE.
HE WAS VERY EASY TO TALK TO, HE
GOT ON THE PHONE.
HE CRACKED A JOKE WITH ME.
HE SAW ME AT THE VETERANS DAY
PARADE IN NEW YORK IN THE CROWD
AND THEN HE PROCEEDED TO TELL ME
THAT -- HE THANKED ME FOR MY
SERVICE AND TOLD ME HE WAS GOING
TO RESTORE MY RANK BACK TO CHIEF
PETTY OFFICER AND EXPUNGING
EVERYTHING FROM MY RECORD SO I
COULD RETIRE HONORABLY.
IT WAS LIKE THIS THING HAD NEVER
HAPPENED.
>> THAT'S AN EVEN BIGGER THING,
TO EXPUNGE IT ALL AND SAY HEY,
LIKE THIS NEVER HAPPENED, YOU'RE
GOING TO GET AN OPPORTUNITY TO
RETIRE IF YOU SO CHOOSE, WITH
ALL THE HONORS THAT YOU'VE
EARNED THROUGH YOUR SERVICE TO
OUR COUNTRY.
WHAT DOES YOU UNDERSTAND ABOUT
YOUR SITUATION, ABOUT OUR WAR
FIGHTERS THAT BRINGS HIM TO MAKE
THESE KIND OF DECISIONS, DO YOU
BELIEVE?
>> HE KNEW A LOT ABOUT MY
SITUATION AND KNEW A LOT ABOUT
ALL THE INJUSTICES THAT WENT ON
DURING THIS WHOLE ORDEAL THAT I
WENT THROUGH.
WE TALKED ABOUT THE PROSECUTORS,
CHRIS CHATBLACK WHO WAS SPYING
ON MY DEFENSE TEAM.
HE SAID IF THAT WERE TO HAPPEN
IN NEW YORK, THOSE PEOPLE WOULD
HAVE BEEN ARRESTED.
AND THEN HE ALSO WENT INTO CORY
SCOTT, THE SEAL WHO STOOD UP AND
TOOK OWNERSHIP OF WHAT REALLY
HAPPENED AND PRETTY MUCH HE TOLD
ME THAT HE WANTED TO INSTILL
CONFIDENCE BACK INTO THE WAR
FIGHTERS OF OUR COMMUNITY A THAT
WE'RE GOING OVER THERE AND DOING
THE JOB AND HE DIDN'T WANT THEM
SECOND-GUESSING THEMSELVES, HE
WANTED THEM TO KNOW THAT THEY
HAD A PRESIDENT WHO HAD THEIR
BACK.
>> YOU MENTIONED ALL THE WAR
FIGHTERS.
AS YOU KNOW, FIRST LIEUTENANT
CLINT LORANCE WAS RELEASED FROM
PRISON THE SAME DAY, GOT A PHONE
CALL FROM THE PRESIDENT, AS WELL
AS MATT GOLDSTEIN GOT THE PHONE
CALL AND WAS CLEARED.
WE HAD MATT ON THE P PROGRAM
YESTERDAY.
HERE'S WHAT HE SAID.
LISTEN.
>> I THINK IT SENDS A CLEAR
SIGNAL THAT THE PRESIDENT OF THE
UNITED STATES IS PAYING
ATTENTION, THAT HE'S NOT GOING
TO BE BACKED OFF BY
INSTITUTIONAL ELEMENTS OF THE
DOD THAT ARE GOING TO TRY TO
RETAIN THEIR ABILITY TO DO
CERTAIN THINGS AND FORCE
OUTCOMES AND WEAPONIZE THE
MILITARY JUSTICE PROCESS AND
THEN HIDE BEHIND PROCESS.
>> DO YOU FEEL THE SAME WAY?
DO YOU FEEL LIKE THE MILITARY
JUSTICE SYSTEM IS IN SOME WAYS
BROKEN?
>> OH, IT DEFINITELY IS BROKEN.
IT'S A SYSTEM THAT NEEDS TO BE
FIXED AND THAT'S WHAT I PLAN ON
DOING WHEN I FINALLY RETIRE.
ISM
I'M GOING TO START A NONPROFIT
AND HELP WAR FIGHTERS THAT ARE
GOING THROUGH ORDEALS THAT I
WENT THROUGH, ALSO USE THAT AS A
PLATFORM TO SPEAK OUT ON JUSTICE
REFORM IN THE MILITARY.
>> VERY COOL.
CONTINUING TO GIVE BACK.
VERY BRIEFLY, HOW'S YOUR FAMILY
DOING, HOW'S YOUR WIFE AFTER ALL
OF THIS?
>> SHE IS OVERJOYED.
BITS LIKE A HUGE WEIGHT THAT IS
TAKEN OFF OUR SHOULDERS.
I DON'T THINK THAT WE'VE -- IT'S
FULLY SUNK IN SINCE WE GOT THE
NEWS YESTERDAY OR THE DAY BEFORE
YESTERDAY.
WE'RE STILL SORT OF ON CLOUD
NINE ABOUT IT NOW.
BUT I CAN TELL YOU THAT MY
FAMILY IS COMPLETELY GRATEFUL
FOR THIS DECISION.
AND THEN WE ARE -- I'LL BE
RETURNING BACK TO WORK TOMORROW,
PUTTING IN FOR RETIREMENT.
I'LL BE RETURNING IN A DEFENSIVE
POSTURE BECAUSE I'M EXPECTING
FULL RETALIATION FROM MY
COMMAND.
>> WOW.
THAT IS -- KEEP US POSTED IF
THAT INDEED HAPPENS.
THEY'RE MESSING WITH THE
PREROGATIVE OF THE COMMANDER IN
CHIEF.
EDDIE L GALLAGHER, THANK YOU SO