John Boehner: Bergdahl Swap Will Cost American Lives, Obama To Blame

John Boehner said the Bowe Bergdahl swap will cost American lives, taking aim at President Barack Obama for releasing five Taliban detainees to free the kidnapped U.S. Army sergeant.

Boehner joined the growing number of politicians criticizing Obama for the prisoner swap that allowed Bergdahl to go free this week. Boehner said there was “no doubt” in this swap would lead to Americans being killed.

“We are going to pay for this,” John Boehner said of the Bergdahl swap.

Boehner also claimed that Obama broke with the practice of not negotiating with terrorists.

“We have violated that policy, and as a result we have made Americans less safe here and all around the world,” he said.

Boehner added that Obama failed to share plans for the prisoner swap with members of Congress. He noted that Obama had previously shared plans for major initiatives, including the mission that killed Osama bin Laden.

“Six months before Osama bin laden was taken down I was briefed on this. I was briefed multiple times over the course of the six months. I was given a heads up several days before this happened. So this idea that they couldn’t trust us to not leak things is just not true,” Boehner said.

The release of Bowe Bergdahl has created a rift in America. Though many support the president’s actions to free him after five years of captivity, others blame Bergdahl himself, calling him a traitor for allegedly abandoning his post in Afghanistan and allowing himself to be captured by the Taliban.

But many have also defended Obama, saying that America is bound to bring home its captured soldiers.

“The clear principle is we don’t leave soldiers behind,” said Fox News commentator Juan Williams. “And at the moment, I think what’s necessary here, I’m reminded this sunday morning of the story of the prodigal son. You don’t make judgments as you have the opportunity to bring that child back. America should be loving this child at this moment.”

John Boehner said the Bergdahl swap was discussed with top committee leaders in 2011 and 2012, but that the Obama administration did not share specifics on the plan before it was carried out.