Chuck Hagel Condemns Bergdahl Critics: ‘Unfair’ to Judge Before We Know Facts

Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel attempted to tamp down any premature criticism of Bowe Bergdahl Wednesday, saying before all the facts are out and the solider gets a chance to tell his story, it’s “unfair” to judge his actions. Since news broke that Bergdahl had been released by the Taliban following five years in captivity, his fellow soldiers have been publicly labeling him a “deserter.”

“Until we get the facts,” Hagel said during a press conference in Brussels, “it’s not in the interest of anyone, and certainly I think a bit unfair to Sgt. Bergdahl’s family and to him to presume anything.”

“We don’t do that in the United States,” he continued. “We rely on facts.” Hagel said that as a former sergeant in the Army himself, it’s not his “place” to “decide who is worthy of being a sergeant and who isn’t.” He called any further talk on that nature “irresponsible.”

Watch video below, via CNN:

[Photo via screengrab]

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