[Bill]

Trump is on record saying this was a bad move on O's part. In order to get Manning released early, Trump would have to formally commute the sentence.....again, to an earlier date. That would be extremely bad optics for Trump. Making the best of a bad situation means just running out the clock. Manning gets his hormone treatment right up until the day he walks out a free man, but no surgery. Even if Manning had a pre-planned surgery date and sued because it got pushed back as a political move, by the time the case wound up in court, the case would be moot, because Manning would no longer be in the custody of the Army, and the Army would no longer be on the hook for his medical needs.