Voters are split over President Barack Obama's decision to release five Taliban militants from Guantanamo Bay in exchange for the release of Army Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl, according to the results of a Fox News poll.
The poll found that 45 percent of registered voters approve of the exchange, while 47 percent disapprove. Another 8 percent said they don't know.
While a majority of Democrats said they approve of the swap, a majority of Republicans and a plurality of independents disapprove.
Disapproval of the deal may partly reflect concerns that negotiating with terrorist groups will encourage them to take more American soldiers hostage.
Fifty-seven percent of voters said they are "very" concerned about that possibility, while 27 percent said they are "somewhat" concerned. Just 15 percent said they are "not very" or "not at all" concerned.
Republicans and independents are far more concerned about terrorists taking more American soldiers hostage than Democrats.
Along with the concerns about the impact of releasing the militants, questions have also been raised about the circumstances of Bergdahl's disappearance, with some critics labeling him a "deserter."
At a joint press conference with U.K. Prime Minister David Cameron on Thursday, Obama was asked about his decision to exchange the Taliban militants for Bergdahl.
Obama continued to defend the decision, reiterating that the U.S. has a basic principle of not leaving anybody wearing the American uniform behind.
"I make absolutely no apologies for making sure that we get back a young man to his parents and that the American people understand that this is somebody's child and that we don't condition whether or not we make the effort to try to get them back," Obama said.
The Fox News poll of 1,006 registered voters was conducted June 1st through 3rd and has a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points.
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