Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., welcomed the release of WNBA star Brittney Griner from Russian custody, but blasted details that cleared the way for her freedom.
"Joe Biden’s prisoner swap with Vladimir Putin released Viktor Bout, the notorious 'Merchant of Death' who armed America’s worst enemies,” he said in a statement Thursday. "And it left behind Paul Whelan, a Marine veteran who’s languishing in a Russian jail cell on trumped-up charges.
"Americans welcomed the release of Brittney Griner, but it shouldn’t have come at the cost of releasing one of the world’s worst arms dealers and creating a dangerous precedent for our enemies: detain Americans and Democrats will agree to set your worst killers free."
Russia freed Griner on Thursday in an exchange for Bout, a Russian arms dealer. But the U.S. failed to win freedom for Whelan, who has been jailed for nearly four years, according to The Associated Press.
"She's safe, she’s on a plane, she’s on her way home," President Joe Biden said from the White House, where he was joined by Griner's wife, Cherelle, and administration officials.
"We've not forgotten about Paul Whelan," Biden said. "We will keep negotiating in good faith for Paul’s release."
Jeffrey Rodack ✉
Jeffrey Rodack, who has nearly a half century in news as a senior editor and city editor for national and local publications, has covered politics for Newsmax for nearly seven years.
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