Mania for the megahit podcast reached a fever pitch after the revelation that the show was turning its
investigative eye to the case of Army Seargant Bowe Bergdahl for its second season. After disappearing from his post in
Afghanistan in 2009, the soldier was held hostage for five years before returning
home as part of a prisoner swap.
Now, Trump is giving the show some extra press by bad-mouthing Bergdahl. At a campaign rally in Massachusetts last week, Trump called him “a dirty, rotten traitor,” and casually suggested that the soldier should be shot for desertion.
Bergdahl’s attorneys took the opportunity to file a motion to expedite a hearing to publicly release documents related to their client’s case. They argued that Trump’s comments amount to “character assassination” and will affect the chances of a fair trial. The documents include an unclassified summary report of the Army’s investigation into Bergdahl’s disappearance from his base.
No such luck: Today, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces denied the motion. “Serial” host Sarah Koenig has said the new season will drop sometime this month, but producers might wait for the hearing to move forward in December to gain access to the documents.