USA Today columnist Susan Page questioned the overall competency of the Obama administration in the wake of the firestorm over the trade for Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl Wednesday, wondering how the White House could have turned this into "such a mess."
Bergdahl's freedom was supposed to be a moment of celebration that lasted "about 60 seconds for the administration," she said on MSNBC's Andrea Mitchell Reports.
"I mean, [Jim] Miklaszewski said they could have Googled his name and come up with serious questions how he happened to be captured by the Taliban," she said. "It goes almost to a question of the competency of the administration. How can they turn this event that could have been a positive, a celebration for the country into one that is such a mess?"
Other pundits and reporters have also expressed dismay with the deal. Even MSNBC's own Chris Matthews sharply criticized a guest Tuesday for suggesting the freed Taliban members in the deal wouldn't be dangerous and again wage war on the U.S.
Full exchange:
ANDREA MITCHELL: Susan, the surprise has been how the White House was really caught on their back feet. On Saturday, there was all this celebration and it was a moment, and the president being able to celebrate the successful return of an American prisoner of war, and they didn't seem to anticipate how angry the military would be, the former platoon members of Sergeant Bergdahl.
SUSAN PAGE: It was a moment that lasted about 60 seconds for the administration. It's not only that they have the Democratic chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, usually their ally, criticizing them for not following the law. They have questions about the wisdom of the decision itself, even a part about whether it was legal or not to not tell Congress. And then they have misrepresenting what we think is going to turn out to be the case with the soldier's service to the country. This is still -- you know, innocent until proven guilty. They failed -- I mean, Miklaszewski said they could have Googled his name and come up with evidence that there were serious questions about how he happened to be captured by the Taliban. It almost goes almost to a question of the competency of the administration. How can they turn this event that could have been a positive, a celebration for the country into one that is such a mess?