President Obama’s decision to announce the Bowe Bergdahl prisoner swap in a triumphant Rose Garden appearance suggests the White House had no inkling of the broad public skepticism that would follow.
On Monday, USA Today published a poll showing that more Americans oppose the Bergdahl trade than support it. That same day, administration official told members of Congress it was Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel, and not Obama, who made the final call.
That’s odd, given that Hagel himself said over the weekend that Obama "made the ultimate decision," and Hagel merely "signed off" on it.
There is, of course, at least one compelling explanation for the discrepancy. Hagel may have given the final go ahead for the Bergdahl trade inadvertently, his aides misunderstanding him given his penchant for speaking in mush-mouthed gibberish.
Consider the following transcript from Hagel’s trip to Romania last week:
Perhaps the meeting in which the Berdgahl trade was "approved" would be transcribed in similar fashion.
Meanwhile, Hagel has yet to address growing concerns about his American citizenship (or lack thereof) following the release of an updated version of his 2008 memoir, America: Our Next Chapter.