Joe Biden has secured the release of WNBA Player Brittney Griner from Russia. She was arrested and imprisoned last February for drug smuggling because she brought THC vape cartridges with her.
Biden is hailing this as a huge achievement. Here’s the video of him making the announcement:
"She's safe, she's on a plane, she's on her way home after months of being unjustly detained in Russia held in intolerable circumstances. Britney will soon be back in the arms of her loved one and she should have been there all along."
— President Biden on Griner's release pic.twitter.com/z2lQC4zeBy
— The Recount (@therecount) December 8, 2022
So who did Biden release in exchange for Griner? A man nicknamed the “Merchant of Death”, a Russian arms dealer named Viktor Bout who was indicted on terror charges which included conspiring to kill Americans.
In fact 60 Minutes did a segment 12 years ago on this Merchant of Death. A top DEA official told CBS that he believed Viktor Bout was without a doubt the most dangerous man on the planet.
The U.S. could release convicted Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout to secure the freedom of Brittney Griner and Paul Whelan, according to a CNN report.
In 2010, 60 Minutes reported on how DEA agents captured Bout, who's been called the "Merchant of Death." https://t.co/7AjXGCy080 pic.twitter.com/qaLUuiUmEU
— 60 Minutes (@60Minutes) August 1, 2022
So this is the high profile terrorist arms dealer that Biden gave up in exchange for Griner and she’s all he got. He didn’t get Paul Whelan, a retired Marine who has been unjustly detained there since 2018 on accusations of espionage.
Oh and by the way, Griner is a gay and married. Which if nothing else just tells us about Biden’s priorities here.
Pres. Biden embraces Brittney Griner's wife, Cherelle in the Oval Office after the WNBA star was released from her monthslong detention in Russia in a prisoner swap. https://t.co/TQsxLTjkub pic.twitter.com/rIz862Rutm
— ABC News (@ABC) December 8, 2022
Here’s a little reaction:
If @POTUS is going to release a guy convicted of providing aid to a terrorist organization & conspiring to kill American citizens, he should have at least gotten BOTH Brittney Griner and Paul Whelan in return.
A U.S. Marine is left behind in another bad deal made by Biden.
— Office of Rep. Nicole Malliotakis (@RepMalliotakis) December 8, 2022
So about the Russian criminal Biden freed in exchange for Brittany Griner—this movie covers his career funneling weapons to terrorists & conspiring to kill Americans. Biden just created an incentive for foreign countries to arrest more Americans to get more sweet deals like this pic.twitter.com/vV4AgzddN7
— Christina Pushaw 🐊 🇺🇸 (@ChristinaPushaw) December 8, 2022
So we gave up the “merchant of death” who has been involved in plots to kill Americans
And we got the famous basketball player that a lot of celebrities lobbied for but not the marine who has been captive for 4 years.
And they’re going to treat this like a major win. https://t.co/LH8FouylDB
— Matt Whitlock (@mattdizwhitlock) December 8, 2022
It's notable that Trump was able to free American hostages abroad by pressuring or threatening evil regimes, while @BarackObama and @JoeBiden decided to trade away high-level criminals and terrorists, plus pallets of cash, often compromising important national security interests.
— Joel Pollak (@joelpollak) December 8, 2022