It’s not uncommon for politicians to say things that later come back to bite them but Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel did it all in one interview. On one hand, Hagel insisted that the Obama administration ‘didn’t negotiate with terrorists’ in reaching a deal on a prisoner swap involving five Taliban terrorists and Bowe Bergdahl.

However, in the same interview, Hagel said the Taliban’s release of Bergdahal could lead to future negotiations with the Taliban:

With these two clips, Hagel is asserting that the Taliban is not a terrorist outfit because the Obama administration did NOT negotiate with terrorists to secure Bergdahl’s release. He is also leaving open the possibility of negotiating with the Taliban in the future.

The flag behind Hagel is also a disturbing prop in light of his disclosure that the Taliban can be negotiated with and it is not a terrorist organization.

Unlike Jay Carney, Hagel didn’t seem to think there was a difference between a prisoner and a hostage.