the door then closes, does anything happen? we're on it. hello, everyone. i'm dana perino, along with kimberly guilfoyle, juan williams, eric bolling, and greg gutfeld. it's 5:00 in new york city and this is "the five." america got its first look today at the handover of sergeant bowe bergdahl to u.s. forces in afghanistan. the taliban released the 17-minute propaganda video, it shows him looking healthy after spending five years in captivity. u.s. forces patted down bergdahl to make sure he wasn't armed or wearing a suicide vest. soldiers who served with him say

he ended up with the taliban after he deserted his post. one says they were told not to tell the truth about his disturbance -- disappearance. >> we had all known that he had deserted his post and there was never anything about him getting captured or a pow until a little while later, whenever it came down from the chain of command that we needed to keep quiet about it, not say anything, we're going with the narrative that he was captured. >> wow. so they basically told you not to, you know, not to tell the truth? >> yes, sir. >> at least six soldiers may have died while searching for bergdahl. wheer are two of their mothers reacting to this? >> i know with my son, if he was captured and didn't go awol, i know for sure that he would not want five extremely dangerous terrorists traded for his life. he would give his life.

he's getting the royal treatment. >> and our kids came home, the ones of us who lost our sons, they came home in the baggage part of an airplane and were rolled out in a box. >> joining us now from washington is a journalist who has been following this story very closely. steve, there were some developments today. we actually heard something that the taliban may have said about bergdahl when he first went into their hands. do you want to give us an update? >> yeah, there's been some pretty interested developments. we've heard from his platoon meats, when he left, when he walk off the outpost. he was searching for the taliban. they heard that in radio communications shortly after he left. and what we had today is a washington post article, that when bergdahl left, he was

looking for taliban. you can see why some of his platoon mates, thought he might not be just a deserter, but potentially a detective defector. >> you talked to the plaen -- platoon mates, can you tell usz how unusual it is for other soldiers not to speak about something? is that standard practice? >> i think if they are told not to say anything, that's one thing. i mean, it would be expected that they won't want to be giving up information about the soldier who is missing, about their efforts to rescue him. that seems to me to be per function tory. the real question is they were given nondisclosure agreements. the clip that you just played from earlier from tox and friends with josh fuller saying

they were not to talk about what they had seen or their own conclusions about bergdahl having walked off the outpost butnb)"uz actually say that he in fact a pow who had been captured which is, you know, being instructed in effect to lie. >> taking it around the table. kimberly. i'm looking at that video, he seems to me to be the picture of health, it doesn't look like he was deteriorating in health. >> i think that's a good question. we're going to hear a lot more about his health, about his condition when he was turned over. national security council briefer, after he was captured, said bergdahl was in good condition. we can see that he wasn't in the kind of dire straits that administration officials had led

people to believe. remember, the is he -- secret video that was taken in december of 2013, that's some six months ago and the reason that the white house gave for this urgent rescue was that they had compared that to a video in 2011, and in effect said he's deteriorating rapidly. well, it's a hard argument to make when you wait six months to do the prisoner exchange. >> eric. >> steve, if we can just rolling that video one more time. right at the beginning of this video, i'm sure you must have combed this thing a bunch of times. we have our guys who came over. they greet the taliban. they shake the talibans hands then something happened. we kind of pat him on the back. a brief patdown, but certainly not a search. he's also holding a bag that no one searches. they don't look inside that bag. bergdahl and the other two of our guys get on the helicopter and join the other three people

on the helicopter and he's never really been searched. this is a guy who supposedly was just turned over by the people who want to kill us. we've been fighting them for the last 12 years. does this not raise some red flags that something more has been going on, more dealings have been going on than what we're being told right now? >> well, it was interesting, you are right. i have looked at this video very preemptive search right afterrt they took possession of bergdahl and then they did another one where they boarded the plane, where they did a more in-depth patdown. i think it's very interesting that they didn't take the time to search the bag. i would have expected them to have done that. i don't have an explanation as to why they didn't. they do do the initial patdown of his body which would have presumably demonstrated if he had some kind of suicide bomb attached to his waist. >> gutfeld. >> chris, always great to see

you. you look marvelous. i have a comment and i have a question. the comment is about negotiating with the taliban. here's what i think we've learned. you do not bring president obama when you are buying a car because you are going to come home with a frisbee with the word car painted on it and he's going to go around look michelle, i got a car. i only paid $25 rrks,000 for it. my question is these guys are simply mob sters on mules. it wasn't just five taliban that they got. there must have been some money involved. was there stock in soln -- solyndra. >> i don't know about that. the taliban got what they wanted. it goes beyond i couldn't say these -- just these five. they were some of the worse of the worse. remember, we've also seen basically a strategic pause,

we've been calling it, in combat operations, counterterrorism operations in afghanistan and pakistan. there hasn't been a drone strike in pakistan since december 25th and counterterrorism operations have wound down considerably in afghanistan. was that a confidence building measure? you've seen in the president's speech where he announced we were going down to the zero option after 2016. you've seen the administration in effect meet several of the goals, several of the demands that the taliban had when these negotiations first started in november of 2010. i think the president at the very least hasn't been a very good negotiator. >> now, your fellow co-panelists from special report in a very different role, getting to ask you a question. juan williams. >> you know what i noticed for all of the soldiers who were in that platoon and have raised questions about bergdahl's conduct, i don't hear this kind

of blowback coming from the pentagon, the cia, those folks, in fact, i saw that general dempsey, the chairman of the joints chiefs took to social media to say this was our last best chance to rescue him and that his conduct is a separate issue. then you had the washington post report saying this question about whether or not soldiers were injured or died trying to rescue him is murky at best. what are you hearing from pentagon, cia, high-level sources who might have a different view than soldiers who were on the ground? >> remember, the high level folks at the pentagon and the cia have to answer to the president of the united states and what we've seen the president, it's been reported by time magazine and others, skipped the normal process for determining whether it was safe or prudent to release or transfer good-bye -- guantanamo bay detainees. they used the intelligence that

was drawn from the inmates from guantanamo over the past several years. they renew these interrogations over the last several years. the president in effect jumped over it and said i'm taking your advice, setting it to the side and making my own determination on this. >> steve, i have a question. so we know that in the past several years, including as early as last year, the intel community and the pentagon said they were not comfortable with these five terrorists being released. the white house is then reporting to say that -- they went through the proper process and that everybody was on board at the end. do we know what changed or if there was an assurance from qatar that we now believe? is there a moment or was it basically like in time magazine, where you have a administration official saying it was time to tell the military to suck it up

and salute? that's their quote. not mine. >> yeah, we've certainly had some attempts by administration officials to sort of backfill, to explain why they felt the need to do this and a lot of that goes back to the original question which was sergeant bergdahl's health. was he in fact -- you know, in such poor health, really on the verge of potentially not making it out of afghanistan, if the united states didn't intervene and didn't intervene right away and you heard from director of national intelligence james clapper and others that that was the thing that was the real tipping point along with the supposed security assurances that we had gotten from the government in qatar. now the problem with those, there are a couple of problems. one we've seen that basically those assurances have already been violated and you have these folks traveling freely throughout the country and in effect free after one year to go back to afghanistan and reengage in hostilities, but they can do a lot of work on behalf of jihad, this sort of broader jihad from qater if they don't

have any restrictions on them and it appears that they don't. >> eric. >> steve, okay, so one week ago, susan rice did an interview where she says regarding obama's legacy, we're looking to put points on the board. i'm using her term. this bergdahl stuff breaks saturday night, into sunday. on sunday, susan rice said to cnn, the reason they took bergdahl when they did because there was acute urgency about his health. that afternoon or that same morning, sometime midday or so, she tells abc that bergdahl was in good health condition. the same day she says acute urgency and good health. are we going to hold this administration to be -- i mean, she is blatantly lying? either he was in good health and they didn't need to do or he was in acute urgency and he needed to be taken down?

-- taken now? >> that's exactly why we're going to see a ton of scrutiny placed on the claims the administration made about the need for urgency. you've had contradictions all over the place not just with susan rice, but on the day of the extraction, after sergeant bergdahl was lifted on that ground in that helicopter, you had administration telling reporters that he was in good condition. that contradicts what susan rice said the next day and it contradicts the administration has been saying ever since. it contradicts what they told congress as to why they didn't give them the 30-day notification. administration official made it sound sergeant brd ves not going -- bergdahl was not going to survive if we didn't act. six mods ago, they are just now saying in effect we had to go in today. it's unclear if they had, you

know, an up date, iffed they had new information or new video, we certainly haven't been told that. >> maybe the taliban gave them some indication in order to make that deal. >> i believe the poor health angle was played to stress urgency to cover-up the politics of the whole thing. it raises the question, who is being suckered. did the taliban sucker the united states or did the white house sucker the united states? my conclusion is both. my question is why these specific five taliban? are they some kind of boy band called the gitmos, was there a reason those guys had to go and not anybody else? >> i don't think it has anything to do with their musical abilities. these are the five senior commanders. they are the tops. they commanded thousands of people. they were responsible for

relations with al qaeda, attacks on american soldiers, relations with iran. these guys are big deal. >> steve, i have one last question. last monday, when president obama gave a speech at west point, he met with the former head of qatar, the former emir and apparently they met before or around the time that the president gives a speech then to the cadets and lays out his foreign policy. do you have any information on that? >> i don't. they met at a time when obviously we were having very sensitive discussions with the qatar government. some kind of deal was in the works long before this announcement on saturday. >> and when they told congress. many of bergdahl's platoon mates says he

welcome back, everybody. the obama administration took a victory lap with sergeant bergdahl's parents in the rose garden. susan rice spiked the ball on the sunday shows. we haven't heard from one service member to defend the guy. there's a wide gap between the obama story line and that from the guys who served alongside bergdahl. >> this is an example of a very deep cultural divide between team obama who knows nothing about the military. those who actually serve. when you really listen to susan

rice and obama, they think zergs -- desert ion is like skipping class. >> is the comments from obama communication process will make your blood boil? >> it happened five years ago. it's been in captivity. i think he's probably the person who knows best what happened that night. >> i think his squad mates have the best indication. >> i don't think that's the case. >> so she thinks our service members are lying. that alone is despeckable, and lieutenant ralph peters differs. >> what you saw and heard was benghazi 2.0. a political funkie in the state

department insisting she knows better what happened on the ground than the soldiers in the front line. the arrogance is boundless. i wish the obama administration if it can't have the grace to be decent about anything else, at least stop insulting our troops. >> i'm disgusted with this administration. the more you have found out, we have found out quite a bit have we not from people who were actually on the ground from special forces that were tasked initially to find him, that happened to be in the area at the time that herb disappeared, about mr. bergdahl. they were able to read from his diary all that he wrote down about the military, about america, about his intentions, and wanting to leave, and then he did just that. 2h(t&háhp &hc% promote him to the level of sergeant while he was gone and while he willfully put the lives of other officers in danger by wandering off because he was politically opposed and his

idealology was shaken by his experience over there. it's disgraceful. i'm looking for the administration to do the right thing and justice for the soldiers that died. >> instead of saying his fellow soldiers were lying, why don't they tell us what they do know, the obama administration? >> i think eventually you are going to have to find out. i don't think there's any rush to do it. i think the key thing here is we got that young man back and they are trying to get him in good health before they bring him home. i think it's an important point to understand that you have to understand that his conduct is not the basis on which you went after him. it is military procedure to go get one of our guys back in a uniform guy that has now being held captive by the enemy. i don't think there's any argument about this. you can go on and on about his conduct and suspicions and paraknow i can't. the fact is he's an american and he was being held captive and we

got him back. i'm going to tell you some other facts. the very people who today are going bananas about this, these people in the united states senate like john mccain just last week were saying we got to get bergdahlzl9ls back. >> let's forget people died trying to get this back. >> no, let's not forget it. but you are assured this is what happened, eric, and that's not true. >> fair enough. i don't know what happened. >> i agree with juan on several things but i think there is another part of this story and it i for the white house has to own which is their decision from a communications standpoint to do a rose garden ceremony, to have susan rice go on the sunday shows and say unequivocally that he served with honor and distinction, not even to say there are some questions surrounding his disappearance, we're going to get to the bottom of that. we should all be glad that he is home. and i will say this about the

communications of administration, i understand that your instinct is to lash back out but when you have such a weak hand, the better way to handle it is to have some human i willity and to say to the reporters i understand what you are you are asking that question. bear with us. instead to embarrass yourself and the administration at the podium around the world while they are watching is just immature, poor communications. anyone that was in pr 101 would have known to answer that better. i'm embarrassed by that. >> she just flunked school from dana perino. she gets an f. >> they are out of touch. this is what happens when your entire adult life is taught to scorn american might. the root cause is always to root against us. what do you get? you get the rose garden which in

terms of obama gaffes is worse than his bowling. we should be grateful at the end of that presser, he didn't yell we're going to disneyland. it was so manufactured to be you're foric. how could they not see it. it's the biggest blind spot they had. >> it's worse than that. they had information. we know it, the special forces are actually out there looking for him, i mean documented and not something made up. you will see. why would they go ahead and put the father up there at the rose garden, the whole thing to me is so appalling because it's not like they don't know the truth and we know what the truth is and they still did that. what did they do for the soldiers and people that have served or fought, what about the people in benghazi that lost their lives? it bothers me just the juxtaposition. >> i want to disagree with juan. the issue here is that let's say this guy was looking for

adventure. looking for adventure is indisdistinguishable from deserting. obama should have said we need to get this guy back because he's got a wealth of information. we're going to trade these five guys for that guy and in four days, those five guys will be dead. >> that's what i hear. i don't hear -- they don't say we're going to kill them outright. but they got a year, and then they are going to track them. >> they better get to it. >> everything doesn't get settled in the time of our show. >> that's what's so great about our show. >> i thought that the president made a tremendous mistake by having that press conference. i think dana is on target. it was bad and i don't think they anticipated the blowback. i will say this, it's a sacred

trust to get your folks back, even if they are a drunk, a jerk, i read the bible. what does the bible say? the prodigal son. >> special forces chose not to get the guy because they were concerned he was a traitor. >> why was he on the capture kill list, that's the truth? >> we have more to talk about. >> what should happen to bergdahl now that he's back in american hands? will the army try him for leaving his post? kg will tell us what charges bowe bergdahl could face.

>> well, one of the bigger mysteries surrounding bowe bergdahl's five years of captivity is how he ended up in the hands of the taliban, while the administration wants us to believe he served with honor and distinction. >> he needs to go through all the proper channels, a court martial. >> i want him to face the consequences for his own actions. >> i believe he should have a trial for what he did. >> i think that he should be tried as a deserter and court martial martialed. i personally would like to see him in elevenworth. >> what we do know is he's going to be facing charges if they go ahead and proceed with an investigation and lynn to the individuals who actually served? so far, obama administration has suggested a loose relationship with the truth. >> when there are so many things

that are pointing in one direction, and look, look, his fellow soldiers, bergdahl won't speak english, he wants to speak patch toe -- pashto. the emails, the special forces won't get the guy because they are worried about being traitor. don't they all add up? you got to think if this is the case, there is a courtroom forum. there needs to be a courtroom forum and not just let's download what he knows and take it from there. a legitimate potential for a court martial. >> and he should be stripped from his rank if he is tried and convicted. he was promoted to the rank of sergeant while he was in captivity. that doesn't happen if someone is awol or a deserter.

dues the administration goes forward with this -- >> if i were hillary clinton, i would want to get this done before then, but i think the military -- they have -- the clock is going to move faster than what they are going to be able to move but they are going to move it quickly because their rank and file has to have confidence in the code, and i think that the way to do that is when he comes back so make sure that they are as transparent as possible about the information they got from him, about what happens to thegs decision, why he didn't decide to leave the military, rather than deciding to leave his post. i think the more open the military can be the more confidence the rank and file will have in the system. >> a couple of options, desertion which would be accompanied by dishonorable discharge, forfeiture of all pay and allowances and also absence

without leave. >> he could run off to russia, live with snowden. >> travel buddies. >> try to get gender reassignment surgery like chelsea manning. does this mean that all gitmo prisoners are ttpow easy, not legal combat tants. >> it gives them different rights. no. >> if we have five jailed illegal immigrants, can we exchange them to mexico for the marine that couldn't -- that's currently in prison, why wouldn't we do that? one more thing, can -- >> take a look at the taliban man son family. >> this is a bigger lesson. whatever he is guilty of, you can see at the base that he's a screwed up dude whose misguided idealism became fodder for the enemy. it's a lesson for all peace

activists who end being used against their own country. they never listen. all they are doing is helping the people who want to kill us. >> juan, last comment. >> i worry about the proceedings that seem to be taking place. this is a guy who has never been call a deserter before, right? >> that's not true. that's not true in the military -- >> no, no, the military -- they never said that this guy -- >> there's a determination made -- >> was anything but a military soldier who behaved honorably. he was promoted to sergeant. >> not to get into a fight about this -- >> dnts didn't you say he was promoted to sergeant. . he was. they can't talk it away. the bottom liep the investigation did conclude that he was in fact a deserter. it's all gomg -- going to come out. you just wait and see. >> this guy was promoted in anï sten -- absentia.

>> you don't think any of the platoon mates are -- >> this is the problem, everybody thinks they have the story and i don't think the whole story is ouxt. >> that's our point. >> as you say, totally dubious, greg. >> there are a bunch of senate democrats -- they got to go. they are wrapping. >> if you are hungry, greg is serving some alphabet soup to help us k

>> president obama is spinning so fast he's a human wind tur bind. hook him up and he could generate electricity for a small country. wounded that his rose garden plea was met with a wretch. if only he knew better.

for seven years, the media hasn't asked for much from captain precious. criticism is your gem and debate is the weight that builds mus e muscle. so is this obama's fault? add the codlers who shielded him from a mean thing known as the truth. the atf, the irs, the doj, v.a., nsa, campbell's should rename their alphabet soup obama o's. remember the v.a., even that's faded from view. sure enough, scandals, are dropping like chocolates and the rest of us, like lucy and ethel

can't keep up. >> i think we're fighting a losing game! >> a lot of chocolate. at least the bonbons tasted good. of course, lefty hacks will call the scandals right wing crack, as if it's our fault for keeping track. no wonder america suffers. with friends like these, who needs the taliban. juan, isn't this cute? >> i can't believe you got that. >> i'll be selling these on the street. these are $35. >> you know, i always have trouble with you on the street when you are selling stuff, you know, upper clam guy. >> that's true. but i need to make the rent. i've had enough of you. we've had 733 scandals, which one is the worst? >> i got to tell you, i'm feeling this one followed by benghazi, followed by the irs. there's so many, you got to write a cheat sheet and it goes all the way down to the floor. this to me is really going to go

somewhere. it should. it should matter, i don't think they are going to be able to sweep it under the rug. >> that rug is)iç now 100 feet tall. >> how could this be republican crack including republicans in the senate calling for the rescue of bergdahl? >> i think the manner of the rescue. it's great to have him back but not let's give away five killers. eric, does workmen's comp at fox cover whiplash? >> it's one big arrogant we're smarter than you, lie after lie, we don't know, we heard about it on the news. you can keep your doctor, middle finger to america. let's call it that. >> so far no scandals involving

dogs, dana. >> yes, there was. >> oh, when he ate one. i forgot. >> i think there was one involving a cat. >> quickly, michael called this scandal right wing crack. doesn't this excuse certain journalists from doing their job if it's a fox story? >> yes. there's something to be said for waiting for the information, the problem is you have nine eyewitnesses versus zero and the pentagon report in 2010, i mean, i don't know what america is left to expect, and then also when you start to hear from the families as we have started to hear and they are coming forward and they want to tell their story and their anguish is on their faces and they didn't get a rose garden ceremony. i think that, yes, there's a lot of scandals and something about a dog. i lost track of my great point, but it was great too. >> i love the conspiracy theory.

you know what the they're is, what's obama's dogs name? >> bo. >> what's the sergeant's name? >> now, i can't wait. >> thank god you watch fox news. >> fox better get that insurance policy. i think my man's dizzy. >> there's another joke. some of the usual suspects aren't defending the

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>> lawmaker from both sides of the aisle have questioned the president's trade of terrorists for arm sergeant bowe bergdahl. harry reid is not one of them. he's targeting the questioning. >> opponents of president obama seized upon the release of an

american p.o.w., that's what he was, using what should be a moment of unity and celebration for our nation and the chance to play political games. the safe return of an american soldier should not be used for political points. >> now, harry is happy about the prisoner swap and here's why. >> guantanamo has been there far too long. i'm glad to get rid of these five people. send them back to qatar. >> what you've got here is the top democrat in the senate saying the president is right, in fact, he's calling out the republicans, i mentioned mcconnell, you guys wanted a swap, now you got it. now you are complaining and going on -- what did you say, republican crack? >> i will say god bless harry reid, he speaks the truth. the left wants to drain gitmo, they want to turn it into a museum to celebrate the diversity of our t

>> it's sad when the best you've got is a harry reid spot, as far as i'm concerned, you are playing for the other team, like the anti-american team. >> oh, stop. >> i find him to be ill informed when he speaks. >> he's a hairy reed. >> i'm surprised he didn't throw the koch brothers in there. people wanted the american soldier back, they wanted him back so they can answer the questions, to make sure we do what we have always done. did they want to trade five taliban? no. did they want notification from the president as required by law? yes. >> all right. here we go.

>> it's time now for one more thing. there was a stunning story yesterday that we didn't get a chance to talk about. it has to do with syria, america's policy there or lack thereof. one of our ambassadors robert ford, he's one of the most outstanding ambassadors of a generation. he actually left because he couldn't take it anymore. >> we were constantly behind the curve and our policy was not evolving and finally i got to the point where i could no longer defend it publicly. and it's a professional career member of the u.s. diplomatic service when i could no longer defend the policy in public, it is time for me to go. >> i love somebody who has the honor and dignity to do what he thought was right. >> nice lamp too. >> it was a nice lamp. >> let's ban a phrase. straight ahead. you hear this at the end of every break. straith ahead. what is the other options? curve behind.

everying is ahead of you. there's no time travel involved. everything is front of you. everything is straight ahead. >> what are you supposed to say instead? >> coming up. >> jonah hill over the weekend did something that was i think greg you will approve of. he said he was wrong. yeah, because he hurled a gay slur at someone, asked them to perform a sex act. he said i was wrong and he's begging for forgiveness. you got to give him credit. >> i don't. i don't. he begged. he acted like he killed somebody. maybe he made a slur but he didn't kill somebody. he begged. he begged -- he crawled over broken glass. >> greg, he was wrong. >> kimberly. >> on to a happy moment. you like those don't you? all right. bruce spring steen born in the usa turning 30 years old. making you feel old, right?

>> boo! >> stop booing. greg ruined my moment. anyway, it's a great song. "born in the usa "an iconic song. >> you can't appreciate the music? >> i can appreciate the kmusk. >> that's my point. >> that's all i have time for. >> you are out of time. president obama watch, this is amazing, watch. >> that's his workout. >> it condition be any more than five pounds, and >> it is thursday june 5th. a fox news alert. a late night white house huddle behind closed doors to extend

the swap of bergdahl for five terrorists. turns out they didn't have to release terrorists after all. new information about a plan b. >> a military jet going down in a busy neighborhood. a ball of flames slams into two. the unbelievable ending to this crash. >> do you go to work really early, do you stay late? do you take one for the team? why all of that extra effort is a big waste of your time. "fox & friends first" starts right now. >> let's get right to that fox news alert. while you were sleeping the administration working over time to extend the trade of 5 taliban prisoners for sergeant bergdahl in a closed door meeting. >> many senators didn't get the answers they wanted. elizabeth prann is life from washington with breaking

development. >> during a two-hour private meeting on the hill administration officials tried to assure raw lawmakers the tal began would stay away from the field. they are also not satisfied with the justification to leave congress out of the decision making. >> they will soon return to the fight against america and our interests around the world. we have now created an incentive for the enemies of the united states to try to capture american men and women in uniform. >> i am more disturbed now than i was before i came in about some of the logic. there's a theory if we were to release these five taliban it would enhance the chance of peace in afghanistan. >> perhaps there was a second option. they confirmed a cash option was discussed as late as december.