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Mitt Romney on Bowe Bergdahl prisoner swap: I wouldn't have made the trade

Mitt Romney says that had he been in the White House at the time, he would have handled the Bowe Bergdahl prisoner swap differently than President Obama.
/ Source: TODAY

Mitt Romney says that had he been in the White House at the time, he would have handled the Bowe Bergdahl prisoner swap differently than President Obama.

"I don’t think I would have made the trade," the former presidential candidate told Savannah Guthrie on TODAY Thursday.

Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl, who left his post in Afghanistan in 2009 and was held captive by the Taliban for five years, was charged Wednesday with desertion and endangering fellow soldiers. The White House negotiated Bergdahl's release by trading him for five Taliban prisoners.

Romney said Obama failed to follow the law by negotiating with terrorists.

"A setting like this, Congress has said, under the law, you must have the president go to Congress. He didn’t do that,” Romney said. “He violated, again, the law. But number two, the real question for me is do the people being released represent a threat to American lives in the future? In this case I believe they do.”

Romney, who announced earlier this year that he would not make another run for the White House, also said:

  • He would not be interested in being anyone's running mate: “I don’t think anyone wants to be VP."
  • He has a strategy for fighting former heavyweight boxing champ Evander Holyfield in an upcoming charity match: “All I’m thinking is, don’t get him angry!" he said. Romney said the two will "have a little fun in the arena” and raise money to pay for surgeries in poor countries. “He’s very kind to be willing get into the ring and not hurt me too bad.”

Romney also addressed the charity fight during a "Tonight Show" skit Wednesday night with host Jimmy Fallon.

After his interview, Romney helped Savannah learn the intricacies of the livestreaming app, Meerkat. The two discussed how he spoils his grandchildren, Savannah's childcare help, and his wardrobe plan for his upcoming match with Holyfield.

"How can you go out there with a shirt on?" he said, admitting: "I’m going to go Putin on you."