ied ▁[ the ▁email ] ▁to ▁ 2 0 ▁or ▁ 3 0 ▁other ▁people ." ▁The ▁Washington ▁Post ▁subsequently ▁obtained ▁the ▁e - mail ▁and ▁found ▁that ▁it ▁had ▁been ▁sent ▁to ▁only ▁ 1 0 ▁people , ▁all ▁Navy ▁adm ir als ▁or ▁capt ains . ▁ ▁Re action ▁to ▁Cro z ier ' s ▁dismiss al ▁was ▁mixed . ▁A ▁Wall ▁Street ▁Journal ▁story ▁reported ▁that ▁on ▁" Cap it ol ▁Hill ▁and ▁inside ▁the ▁Pent agon , ▁law m akers ▁and ▁officials ▁react ed ▁with ▁confusion ▁and ▁anger ▁over ▁the ▁dismiss al " ▁of ▁Cro z ier . ▁A ▁joint ▁statement ▁from ▁four ▁Democr ats ▁on ▁the ▁House ▁Ar med ▁Services ▁Committee , ▁including ▁the ▁committee ▁chair , ▁Represent ative ▁Adam ▁Smith ▁( D - WA ), ▁critic ized ▁Cro z ier ' s ▁conduct , ▁saying ▁that ▁" Capt ain ▁Cro z ier ▁was ▁just ifi ably ▁concerned ▁about ▁the ▁health ▁and ▁safety ▁of ▁his ▁crew , ▁but ▁he ▁did ▁not ▁handle ▁the ▁immense ▁pressure ▁appropri ately . ▁However , ▁rel ieving ▁him ▁of ▁his ▁command ▁is ▁an ▁over re action ." ▁President ▁Trump ▁also ▁critic ized ▁Cro z ier ' s ▁letter ▁on ▁ 4 ▁April ▁saying ▁that ▁it ▁was ▁" not ▁appropriate ." ▁ ▁Mod ly , ▁U . S . ▁Def ense ▁Secretary ▁Mark ▁Es per , ▁and ▁Chief ▁of ▁Naval ▁Oper ations ▁Admir al ▁Michael ▁G ild ay ▁each ▁def ended ▁the ▁decision ▁to ▁remove ▁Cro z ier , ▁although ▁G ild ay ▁and