One of Bose lawyers sent a letter to Donald Trump about a week and a half ago,

regarding a possible deposition of Trump, or a possible appearance as a witness during Bose Court Marshall.

Dear Mr. Trump, I request to interview you as soon as possible, etc.

Trump's been doing this bit about Bo on the campaign trail. I've watched video of it.

It's about how crappy the trade was, how Bose a trader, how these Taliban terrorists are back in the fight,

about how in the old days we shot people like Bo on the battlefield. Then he sometimes does this stupid rat-a-tat thing with his fingers.

None of what Trump says about Bo is true, not in the way Trump implies,

but the audience always gives a big meaty roar when he does it.

In the old days, Dessert is...

Wish up!

Ever since I've been reporting this story when I've asked people, people on all sides of this thing,

what bothers them the most about Bose case? They'll say,

I wish it hadn't gotten so political, sucks that it got so political.

And usually I just nod like, yeah, politics. This trade for Bose just one more thing for Democrats and Republicans to yell at each other about.

But then when I really looked at it, I was like, wait a minute, was it inevitable that it got this combative?

Because maybe it could have gone another way.

From this American life in W.B.E.C. Chicago, it's serial. One story told week by week. I'm Sarah Canig.

The day of the trade, President Obama makes this big announcement. He's flanked by Bob and Janie Bergdahl.

He hugs them, kisses them. And even though the President never called Boa Hero, the heft of announcing it at the White House, in the Rose Garden, the pomp of it, in front of all those cameras,

it felt like the President was communicating something heroic, a triumph.

Which, if you're someone who's served in the military, maybe someone who went looking for Bose, say, that message was bad enough.

But then, the very next day, National Security Advisor Susan Rice went on TV. She was on one of the Sunday news shows.

...