Former President Donald Trump blasted the proposed plan to swap WNBA player Brittney Griner with imprisoned Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout, calling her a “potentially spoiled person.”
Last week, reports surfaced that the Biden administration offered the Kremlin convicted Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout, who had been sentenced to 25 years in U.S. prison, in exchange for Griner and corporate security executive Paul Whelan, who had been imprisoned in Russia for alleged espionage that he denies.
John Kirby, a White House national security spokesman, told reporters that President Joe Biden personally signed off on the deal to free Griner and Whelan. “The president and his team are willing to take extraordinary steps to bring them home,” said Kirby.
WNBA star Brittney Griner escorted to a Moscow court on drug charges. Evgenia Novozhenina/Pool Photo via AP
“We believe it’s important for the American people to know how hard President Biden is working to get Brittney Griner and Paul Whelan home,” he added.
The proposed swap comes months after the U.S. successfully traded convicted Russian pilot Konstantin Yaroshen in exchange for imprisoned Marine veteran Trevor Reed.
Speaking on the radio program Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show, former President Trump referred to Griner as a “potentially spoiled person” for being irresponsible during her trip to Russia.
“She went in there loaded up with drugs into a hostile territory where they’re very vigilant about drugs. They don’t like drugs,” Trump said. “And she got caught. And now we’re supposed to get her out – and she makes, you know, a lot of money, I guess – and we’re supposed to get her out for an absolute killer and one of the biggest arms dealers in the world.”
Griner has been imprisoned in Russia since February after authorities arrested her for having a vape cartridge infused with CBD in her luggage. She has since pled guilty to possession of an illegal drug.
Trump took particular issue with the potential freeing of Viktor Bout, who has been accused of selling weapons to Al Qaeda and the Taliban.
“He’s going to get a free card, and we’re gonna get her,” Trump said. “She knew you don’t go in there loaded up with drugs, and she admitted it. I assume she admitted it without too much force because it is what it is.”
“It certainly doesn’t seem like a very good trade, does it? He’s an absolute– one of the worst in the world, and he’s going to be given his freedom because a potentially spoiled person goes into Russia loaded up with drugs,” he added.
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