The lawyer for U.S. Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl, the former Taliban prisoner in Afghanistan charged with desertion, on Thursday chastised U.S. Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump for calling his client a "traitor."

"Sgt. Bergdahl is not charged with treason or anything like it," attorney Eugene Fidell said in a statement.

"I condemn Mr. Trump's reckless disregard for the truth. He should be ashamed of himself."