Top Admiral Recommends Captain Be Reinstated After Former Navy Secretary Fired Him For Coronavirus Warning; Top Admiral Recommends Captain Be Reinstated After Former Navy Secy Fired Him For Coronavirus Warning
COOPER: There's breaking news tonight on Captain Brett Crozier who received a hero sendoff after he was stripped of his command of the carrier Theodore Roosevelt. Captain Crozier was fired after warning of coronavirus outbreak that was spreading throughout the ship. As of today, 856 sailors have tested positive for the virus. Huge uproar ensued. The acting Navy secretary who swung the axe was, himself, subsequently fired after calling Captain Crozier either naive or stupid. Now, the Navy is recommending he be reinstated at the TR's helm. Barbara Starr joins us now with more. So, what is the status of the naval recommendation tonight?</s>BARBARA STARR, CNN PENTAGON CORRESPONDENT: Well, good evening, Anderson. Earlier today, the head of the U.S. Navy, four-star admiral, Michael Gilday, recommended to the defense secretary that Crozier be reinstated to his command of the aircraft carrier Theodore Roosevelt and be in charge of the nearly 5,000 people onboard that carrier. But Esper did not expect the recommendation, at least not yet. Esper is saying he wants to read the whole investigation report. And make sure it's, you know, his aids his aides are saying he wants to make sure it's thorough and comprehensive, and then he'll decide if he's going to accept the recommendation to reinstate Crozier. But, to be very clear, that is not the way the day started out. Here, at the Pentagon, the word was out that that recommendation was going to be made, and there was every expectation that Esper was going to accept it.</s>COOPER: Any sense of what -- so the calculus for Secretary Esper would be?</s>STARR: Well, you know, we don't know. You know, is he going to accept it? It will be a real test of whether or not he has confidence in the Navy leadership. And he is willing to accept their recommendation after they investigated it. What the big unknown, Anderson, is whether there is any White House calculus in this. Is it that Secretary Esper wants to run this past the White House, and see if President Trump wants to get involved? We've seen him get involved in Pentagon matters before. And, tonight, there's really no answer to that.</s>COOPER: And what about the sailors on board who had the virus? Do we know the latest on their condition?</s>STARR: Well, as you said, more than 800 now have tested positive. Very sadly, one did pass away from the virus. Captain Crozier, himself, tested positive. But we are told, in the last day or so, he is no longer in isolation in Guam. It's really interesting. The Pentagon and Centers for Disease Control have a medical investigation going on right now, trying to figure out how that virus spread so widely through that ship. More than 800 sailors testing positive, and this is really the biggest outbreak the U.S. military has seen so far. They're asking for help from the CDC, in trying to figure out exactly what transpired.</s>COOPER: Barbara Starr, appreciate it. Thanks very much.</s>STARR: Sure.</s>COOPER: Joining us now, friend of the captain's, former naval aviator, Brett Odom. Brett, thanks so much for being with us. I know you have been in touch with Captain Crozier today since the news broke. Can you say anything about his reaction to all this?</s>BRETT ODOM, FRIEND OF CAPT. CROZIER: Yes, and I should just make clear that I'm not speaking for him, and he is clearly not speaking to the media. So, you know, I'm comfortable talking about his general attitude and where he is.</s>COOPER: Fair enough.</s>ODOM: There's been a few of us, close friends, we've had a chat group. We stayed in touch and talked to him. And throughout this, his entire attitude has been, you know, he did the best that he could. And he stood by his decision, and he's kept his sense of humor and has really taken everything in stride. So, you know, I think he was -- my sense of his reaction is he's deeply humbled. And -- and -- and deeply grateful for the way the navy, the way they've handled this. From what I gathered in our conversations, everything's been incredibly professional. The Navy's done an incredibly good job of taking care of him and his family. And so I think his attitude is that, you know, obviously, I expect he's probably very glad to be vindicated by the recommendation of the CNO and excited at the opportunity to lead the sailors if it comes to pass.</s>COOPER: I'm, also, guessing that he is incredibly concerned about all the -- I mean, 800 people aboard that ship, more than, coming down with the virus. I'm sure he's -- continues to be concerned about them as he, himself, as been in quarantine. Do you know, is he able to -- I mean, I guess he's able to get updates about -- about them. I would assume.</s>ODOM: You know, I know he's talked to a lot of folks. We have some classmates in Guam who've, you know, kept in touch with him. I'm sure he's in -- in connection with folks in the Navy. You know, he says he had a lot of phone calls. We didn't get into the details. But, certainly, any skipper and commanding officer of Brett's caliber would be deeply concerned about the crew. And, you know, I know they're first and foremost in his thoughts.</s>COOPER: Do you -- I mean, I don't know, again, you say what you can say but is he hopeful to retake command of the USS Roosevelt?</s>ODOM: Well, like I said, I think the news today, he -- I gather he did not have any forewarning. I sent him a link, and spoke to him shortly after. My -- my sense is that he's -- he's humbled. He is excited if the opportunity comes to pass. And, again, this is a man who's put 32 years of his adult life into the naval service. It's a calling. It's a vocation. And if he has the opportunity to lead the greatest sailors on the -- in the -- on the planet, I think he would be happy and grateful to do that again.</s>ANDERSON COOPER, CNN HOST: You're a navy man yourself. I'm wondering what -- I mean -- for you, what do you think the -- I mean the lesson in all this is? Is there a lesson in this?</s>ODOM: You know, we've talked about this becoming a leadership case the Naval academy, our group of classmates, I have no doubt this will be taught. I think it -- again, I'm not speaking with any inside information, just looking at it from the outside. I think it's a situation where you had a fast-moving virus, you had asymptomatic carriers, you had a long incubation period. And you have support environment where as you states on the Diamond Princess, the peer reviewed article he quoted in his memorandum. It's nearly impossible to contain this in that situation. So I think that you could get to a point in cold analysis where everybody did the right thing, and maybe there's a breakdown of communication. But I -- you know, I think he's comfortable with the decision he made.</s>COOPER: Yes. Brett Odom, I appreciate you coming on in and talking about your thoughts on this. Thank you so much.</s>ODOM: Happy to do it. Take care, Anderson.</s>COOPER: You take care. Just ahead, latest on the vaccines now development to treat coronavirus. Our Sanjay Gupta is going to join us again for an update, when we continue.