The U. S. Navy’s Seventh Fleet directly received a request from the White House Military Office to keep the U. S. John McCain from view during President Donald Trump’s visit to Japan, acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan said.
June 2 (UPI) — The U. S. Navy’s Seventh Fleet directly received a request from the White House Military Office to keep the U. S. John McCain from view during President Donald Trump’s visit to Japan last week, acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan said Sunday.
Shahahan, speaking to reporters traveling with him to Seoul, South Korea, said the request wasn’t carried out.
Originally, the Pentagon boss told CNN the request was made to lower-level officials.
Rear Adm. Charlie Brown, chief of Navy information, acknowledged earlier this weekend in a statement that a request was made « to minimize the visibility » of the guided-missile destroyer but noted that « all ships remained in their normal configuration » during Trump’s visit.
The Seventh Fleet, headquartered in Yokosuka, Japan, manages 70-80 ships and submarines, 140 aircraft and approximately 40,000 sailors and Marines in the Pacific Ocean and Indian Ocean, according to the Navy.
Shanahan said Sunday he doesn’t initially plan to call for an inspector general investigation into the request.
