Top Navy Official Faces Controversy for Endorsing Biden and Criticizing Trump

Navy Secretary Carlos Del Toro’s recent remarks endorsing President Biden and disparaging former President Trump violated the Hatch Act, sparking a political stir.

At a Glance

Navy Secretary Del Toro violated the Hatch Act by politically endorsing Biden and criticizing Trump during a speech in London.
The U.S. Office of Special Counsel (OSC) determined these actions as political activity, breaching federal employee conduct rules.
Del Toro self-reported his comments but did not accept full responsibility, a stance that troubled the special counsel.
Del Toro’s lawyer argued that the remarks were spontaneous and not intended as a violation of the Hatch Act.
The Department of Defense is currently reviewing the OSC’s report on the violation.

Navy Secretary’s Controversial Comment

In a direct breach of the Hatch Act, Navy Secretary Carlos Del Toro endorsed President Biden and criticized former President Trump on January 25, 2024. These comments occurred during his speech at the Royal United Services Institute in London and later in a BBC interview. The Hatch Act of 1939 strictly prohibits federal employees from engaging in political activities while acting in an official capacity.

Del Toro’s remarks were subject to scrutiny when he praised President Biden’s leadership qualities over Trump. “The United States and the world need the mature leadership of President Biden. We cannot afford to have a president who aligns himself with autocratic dictators and rulers whose interpretation of democratic principles is suspicious [at] best,” Del Toro said in his official capacity. These stated preferences violate the non-partisan stance required from federal officials

Findings of the U.S. Office of Special Counsel

The U.S. Office of Special Counsel (OSC) determined that Del Toro’s actions represented political activity, thus violating the Hatch Act. The OSC noted that while Del Toro self-reported his comments, his lack of taking complete responsibility was troubling. “Secretary Del Toro’s statements with overt reference to the election conveyed electoral support for one candidate and opposition to another candidate, and thus, constituted political activity,” stated the report.

Defense and Counter-Arguments

Michael Bromwich, Del Toro’s lawyer, defended the Navy Secretary by arguing that the comments were spontaneous and not intended to breach the Hatch Act. He mentioned that Del Toro had not directly named Trump and responded impromptu to questions posed to him.

Despite this defense, Special Counsel Hampton Dellinger stood firm, citing Del Toro’s lack of acknowledgment of the mistake as concerning. “His unwillingness to acknowledge a mistake is troubling,” said Dellinger.

The Department of Defense is now in the process of reviewing these findings, with Deputy Defense Secretary Kathleen Hicks emphasizing the importance of remaining apolitical.

“It’s really important to me that this department remain apolitical. We’re going to do everything within our power to make sure that our troops, our leadership – both civilian and military – remain focused on the task at hand and understand that they are not a part of the political apparatus there,” said Hicks.