At least three Republicans praised the release of Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl, the only American POW from the war in Afghanistan, but then retracted their admiration of the controversial move by deleting tweets and statements as backlash grew over the prisoner swap of Guantanamo Bay detainees in exchange for Bergdahl’s release.

U.S. Rep. Lee Terry, R-Neb., called Bergdahl, 28, “a national hero” in a statement released by his office on Saturday. But the statement is no longer on Terry’s website, with visitors being told, “We are sorry, but there is no document by that reference here.”

Most Republicans have slammed President Barack Obama’s agreement with the Taliban to release five high-level Guantanamo Bay detainees in exchange for Bergdahl because Obama did not give Congress 30 days’ advance notice of the swap, as required by law. But the president defended the action, saying he had to expedite the swap “due to a near-term opportunity to save Sgt. Bergdahl’s life,” according to the Washington Post.