President Joe Biden appeared visibly frustrated and confused during an exchange with reporters on Thursday after announcing a prisoner swap deal with Russia, as he tried to blame his predecessor and likely successor, Donald Trump, for failing to rescue hostages held captive since taking office.
As Biden, whose announcement of the Russia deal was laced with a blunt, partisan attack on Trump, prepared to leave the podium, a reporter pointed out that Trump had “repeatedly said he was able to rescue the hostages without giving anything in return.”
“Why didn’t you do this when you were president?” Biden yelled before leaving the stage.
As the Republican National Committee was quick to point out, two of the three American hostages released in the deal announced Thursday after President Biden took office were held by Russia.
Reporter: “President Trump has repeatedly said he could have rescued the hostages without giving anything in return…”
Biden: “Why didn’t you do that when you were president?”
(2 in 3 Americans wrongfully detained during Biden’s presidency) pic.twitter.com/jGDPtM3Pya
— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) August 1, 2024
Biden’s remarks on Thursday included several moments in which he seemed to preemptively rile up critics who he said cut unfair deals to bring prisoners home. While the three Americans (and one U.S. green card holder) detained by Russia were innocent people wrongly imprisoned, the Russians released in the exchange were violent criminals convicted in formal trial procedures, including an assassin who had carried out political murders on German soil.
Trump certainly could arrange for the release of the Russian hostages without getting anything in return, and has said he would do so as soon as he returns to the presidency.
for example, May Posts Trump posted on his preferred social media platform, Truth Social. Said:
Evan Gershkovich, the Wall Street Journal reporter being held in Russia, will be released soon after the election, but certainly before I take office. He will be safe home and with his family. Russian President Vladimir Putin will do that for me, but not for anyone else. And we won’t pay a thing!
July, Regarding the Russian court’s conviction of Gershkovich, Trump wrote:
Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich was sentenced to 16 years in prison by a Russian court. Biden will never release him unless he pays a “king’s ransom”. I intend to release him without compensation immediately after my victory on November 5th, and it would be a great honor for me to do so. If you vote for Trump, the Wall Street Journal should stop being stupid!!!
Sen. J.D. Vance (R-Ohio), Trump’s running mate, Claimed Russia finally agreed on Thursday to release prisoners who had been held for many years. Gershkovich and former U.S. Marine Paul Whelan Because they were concerned about the possibility of Trump returning to the White House.
“We want these Americans to come home. It’s ridiculous that they were in prison in the first place, but we have to ask ourselves, ‘Why would they come home?'” Vance said. “And I think the bad guys around the world are aware that Donald Trump is trying to get back into the presidency and are conducting a full investigation,” he said in an interview with CNN.
“I think that’s a good thing and a testament to the strength of Donald Trump,” he added.
