In May, Donald Trump asserted that only he would be able to achieve the release of Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich from Russian custody after his reelection. However, President Joe Biden disproved this claim by orchestrating a successful prisoner swap. It secured Gershkovich’s freedom along with several others. In response to the news, Trump questioned the details of the Joe Biden prisoner swap on social media.
So, what did Donald Trump say after Joe Biden’s prisoner swap? Here are all the details.
What did Donald Trump say after Joe Biden swapped prisoners?
Former President Donald Trump has voiced strong criticism regarding the recent prisoner exchange with Russia. On Truth Social, Trump questioned the specifics of the deal, asking for details about how many individuals were exchanged and whether any cash was involved.
Trump wrote on Truth Social, “So when are they going to release the details of the prisoner swap with Russia? How many people do we get versus them? Are we also paying them cash? Our ’negotiators’ are always an embarrassment to us! I got back many hostages, and gave the opposing Country NOTHING – and never any cash.” (via WSJ)
Other Republicans, in contrast, avoided directly attacking President Joe Biden over the swap. Some of Trump’s allies remained reserved, merely questioning the specifics of what was exchanged.
In response, White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan clarified that no cash or sanction relief was part of the agreement. Trump, however, reiterated his claims during an interview on the Clay Travis & Buck Sexton Show. According to First Post, President Biden responded to Trump’s remarks by questioning why such an action was not taken during Trump’s own presidency.
Did Donald Trump swap prisoners during his Presidential term?
During his presidency, Donald Trump was involved in several notable prisoner swaps.
In November 2019, the Trump administration negotiated the release of two Western hostages, an American and an Australian, who had been held by the Taliban for over three years. In exchange, the Afghan government released three high-ranking Taliban figures.
Then, in 2020, the Trump administration also facilitated the release of U.S. Navy veteran Michael White from Iran. In return, the U.S. agreed to release Matteo Taerri, who had been held on charges related to sanctions violations. Additionally, the Trump administration arranged for the release of aid worker Sandra Loli and businessman Mikael Gidada by agreeing to free over 200 Houthi militants held in Oman.
