Pete Hegseth: You Don’t Want a Bowe Bergdahl Ever Walking Free

RUSH TRANSCRIPT MELE Today ░░░░░░░░ Bergdahl is expected to ░░░░░░░░ he s a deserter ░░░░░░░░ home with a hero ░░░░░░░░ welcome by the Obama ░░░░░░░░ Bergdahl is said to ░░░░░░░░ guilty to charges tied ░░░░░░░░ his capture by the ░░░░░░░░ in 2009 SCHMITT Five ░░░░░░░░ were exchanged for his ░░░░░░░░ and six U S ░░░░░░░░ were killed searching for ░░░░░░░░ in Afghanistan MELE Joining ░░░░░░░░ now is Fox Friends ░░░░░░░░ co anchor and Army ░░░░░░░░ Pete Hegseth Hey Pete ░░░░░░░░ Good morning MELE So ░░░░░░░░ I guess the question ░░░░░░░░ and we don t ░░░░░░░░ this at this point ░░░░░░░░ he strike a deal ░░░░░░░░ is he pleading guilty ░░░░░░░░ hopes of leniency from ░░░░░░░░ judge HEGSETH We don ░░░░░░░░ know It looks like ░░░░░░░░ s pleading guilty either ░░░░░░░░ The question is whether ░░░░░░░░ s a plea deal ░░░░░░░░ he got some sort ░░░░░░░░ a deal from prosecutors ░░░░░░░░ though it goes before ░░░░░░░░ judge and the judge ░░░░░░░░ make the call in ░░░░░░░░ he faces The lesser ░░░░░░░░ the two is what ░░░░░░░░ will face whether it ░░░░░░░░ life in prison for ░░░░░░░░ before the enemy or ░░░░░░░░ it s a desertion ░░░░░░░░ for five years or ░░░░░░░░ his time in captivity ░░░░░░░░ be counted toward that ░░░░░░░░ well We don t ░░░░░░░░ if he cut a ░░░░░░░░ We will find out ░░░░░░░░ His trial was supposed ░░░░░░░░ start a week from ░░░░░░░░ It ll likely become ░░░░░░░░ sentencing instead because he ░░░░░░░░ likely to plead guilty ░░░░░░░░ This is a story ░░░░░░░░ enrages a lot of ░░░░░░░░ in the military and ░░░░░░░░ lot of Americans in ░░░░░░░░ because you see that ░░░░░░░░ of the five terrorists ░░░░░░░░ we had to give ░░░░░░░░ to get him back ░░░░░░░░ it s a very ░░░░░░░░ precedent Misbehavior before the ░░░░░░░░ is the big charge ░░░░░░░░ That carries the potential ░░░░░░░░ life in prison Tell ░░░░░░░░ about that HEGSETH It ░░░░░░░░ different than treason Initially ░░░░░░░░ were thoughts of charging ░░░░░░░░ with treason intentionally going ░░░░░░░░ join the enemy Misbehavior ░░░░░░░░ the enemy means you ░░░░░░░░ abandon surrender or deliver ░░░░░░░░ command property or information ░░░░░░░░ you have a duty ░░░░░░░░ defend which he clearly ░░░░░░░░ abandoning his post and ░░░░░░░░ off base What the ░░░░░░░░ knew they could do ░░░░░░░░ they could likely get ░░░░░░░░ charge to stick which ░░░░░░░░ with life in prison ░░░░░░░░ anybody who has looked ░░░░░░░░ this case understands what ░░░░░░░░ the precedent that it ░░░░░░░░ You don t want ░░░░░░░░ Bowe Bergdahl ever walking ░░░░░░░░ in light of what ░░░░░░░░ s done But if ░░░░░░░░ try for treason and ░░░░░░░░ t get it then ░░░░░░░░ have complications so they ░░░░░░░░ with misbehavior SCHMITT The ░░░░░░░░ of American soldiers being ░░░░░░░░ now because they know ░░░░░░░░ they can get for ░░░░░░░░ HEGSETH It s five ░░░░░░░░ the worst for auditor ░░░░░░░░ That s what happened ░░░░░░░░ worst guy in your ░░░░░░░░ that stocks gear up ░░░░░░░░ walks off base to ░░░░░░░░ special operators looking for ░░░░░░░░ distracted from the mission ░░░░░░░░ we take five of ░░░░░░░░ worse of of Guantanamo ░░░░░░░░ that other Americans had ░░░░░░░░ capture and put lives ░░░░░░░░ the list a price ░░░░░░░░ charged our entire country ░░░░░░░░ least he can do ░░░░░░░░ serve bars the rest ░░░░░░░░ his life MELE Can ░░░░░░░░ make an argument against ░░░░░░░░ in prison HEGSETH I ░░░░░░░░ t Most of us ░░░░░░░░ that he should be ░░░░░░░░ to death for it ░░░░░░░░ is a treasonous act ░░░░░░░░ s evidence that needs ░░░░░░░░ be but there are ░░░░░░░░ harsher sentences When you ░░░░░░░░ your right hand and ░░░░░░░░ country you have to ░░░░░░░░ that those who are ░░░░░░░░ will have your back ░░░░░░░░ put all of that ░░░░░░░░ risk A lot of ░░░░░░░░ will be paying attention ░░░░░░░░ The judge is unlikely ░░░░░░░░ be lenient in this ░░░░░░░░ SCHMITT The soldiers who ░░░░░░░░ searching for him HEGSETH ░░░░░░░░ week from now if ░░░░░░░░ sentencing happens you will ░░░░░░░░ from member that is ░░░░░░░░ injured those that were ░░░░░░░░ can t speak for ░░░░░░░░ but those injured will ░░░░░░░░ up and talk about ░░░░░░░░ was on this patrol ░░░░░░░░ of Bergdahl and the ░░░░░░░░ of those no longer ░░░░░░░░ you know he ll ░░░░░░░░ likely sitting in prison ░░░░░░░░ of those faces for ░░░░░░░░ long time SCHMITT Thank ░░░░░░░░ HEGSETH: “Appreciate it.”