Calls for Bowe Bergdahl to face death penalty, day after desertion charges filed

On March 26, 2015, one day after the Army formally charged Sergeant Bowe Bergdahl with desertion and misbehavior before the enemy, Trump tweeted that Bergdahl "should face the death penalty for desertion" because "five brave soldiers died trying to bring him back." Then-Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel later told Congress he had seen no evidence linking any American combat death directly to the search for Bergdahl, and military investigations found no documented connection between those soldiers' deaths and a Bergdahl-specific rescue mission. Bergdahl had not yet faced a hearing, court-martial, or conviction when Trump publicly called for his execution. Trump repeated similar calls for Bergdahl's execution throughout the 2016 campaign and into his presidency; Bergdahl's defense attorneys later cited the cumulative public comments in arguing that command influence had tainted his ability to receive a fair trial.