People are reminding former President Donald Trump of remarks he made earlier this year after Russian authorities freed Evan Gershkovich, a journalist for the Wall Street Journal, from captivity on Thursday.
In May, Trump boldly stated that he would free Gershkovich—who was imprisoned in Russia over false spying charges for more than a year—if he won the 2024 presidential election
“Evan Gershkovich, the Reporter from The Wall Street Journal, who is being held by Russia, will be released almost immediately after the Election, but definitely before I assume Office,” Trump posted on May 23. “He will be HOME, SAFE, AND WITH HIS FAMILY. Vladimir Putin, President of Russia, will do that for me, but not for anyone else, and WE WILL BE PAYING NOTHING!”
Yet this week it was President Joe Biden, not Trump, who managed to secure a deal with Russian President Vladimir Putin for the release of Gershkovich.
The East and the West conducted what’s being called the largest prisoner swap since the Cold War to release the 32-year-old reporter. Moscow freed Gershkovich and more than a dozen other Americans in exchange for Russian prisoners held in the U.S. and Europe
As reported by the Journal, “the sweeping deal involved 24 prisoners and at least six countries, and came together after months of negotiations at the highest levels of governments in the U.S., Russia and Germany.”
Trump received widespread pushback for his comments in March from not only those in the U.S. but in Russia as well. At the time, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that Trump had no communications with the country regarding a prison swap.
Now, many online are reminding Trump of his boastful and failed prediction.
“Gershkovich release is great news – and interesting that Putin did it now eviscerating Trump’s vile claim that he would get Gershkovich freed at once if elected as a trophy from the Kremlin,” journalist Phillip Gourevitch said.
Others similarly mocked Trump by highlighting a video of the former president claiming that Gershkovich could only be freed once he secured a second term in office.
“Thank you President Biden!!” another wrote.
Alongside Gershkovich, former Marine Paul Whelan was also released on Thursday. Trump and his supporters have repeatedly attacked the Biden administration for allegedly not caring about the ex-service member.
Supporters of Biden were quick to highlight Trump’s history with Whelan as well.
“Reminder that for all of Trump’s macho talk about being tough with world leaders, Putin arrested Paul Whelan while *Trump* was president,” X user Dan Amira said. “Trump had two years to secure his release, but didn’t, or couldn’t.”
Comments made in May by Marine veteran Trevor Reed, who was arrested in Russia in 2019, were also pointed out.
“As a former wrongful detainee in Russia, I would just like to remind everyone that President Trump had the ability to get myself and Paul Whelan out of Russia for years and chose not to,” Reed said. “I would be skeptical of any claims about getting Evan Gershkovich back in a day.”
Despite supposedly being an important issue to them, conservatives have remained relatively quiet thus far.
Trump too has failed to comment on the release as of Thursday afternoon.
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