Defense Secretary Mark Esper reiterated to NBC’S “TODAY" show on Thursday that it is still a possibility Navy Capt. Brett Crozier could return to his post.
The captain was relieved of his duties of the USS Theodore Roosevelt after he raised concerns about the coronavirus outbreak.
Esper said an investigation into the incident is currently under review by the Navy and all options are still on the table.
“It will come to me at some point in time. As I’m in the chain of command, I can’t comment on that further, but I got to keep an open mind with regard to everything," Esper said. "We’ve got to take this one step at a time, let the investigation within the Navy conclude itself . . . and we’ll make very reasoned opinions and judgments as this progresses," he said.
Crozier lost his job on April 2 after he penned a letter to Navy leadership sharing his concerns about the spread of the virus on the aircraft carrier, which was leaked to the media.
The USS Roosevelt has been docked at Guam since March 27.
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