, American and Russian officials said. The swap, at a time of heightened tensions over Ukraine, achieved a top goal for President Joe Biden, but carried a heavy price — and left behind an American jailed for nearly four years in Russia.
The deal, the second such exchange in eight months with Russia, procured the release of the most prominent American detained abroad. Griner is a two-time Olympic gold medalist whose monthslong imprisonment on drug charges brought unprecedented attention to the population of wrongful detainees. Biden’s authorization to release a Russian felon once nicknamed “the Merchant of Death” underscored the escalating pressure that his administration faced to get Griner home, particularly after the recent resolution of her criminal case and herThe swap was confirmed by U.S. officials with direct knowledge of the negotiations who were not authorized to publicly discuss the deal before a White House announcement and spoke on condition of anonymity.
“Moments ago I spoke to Brittney Griner. She is safe. She is on a plane. She is on her way home,” Biden tweeted.
Sodom
Glad she's outta there but this other man's been there for 4 yrs now why? And get him home to now !!
I'm glad she's home but now what about the one they t traded is he gonna be under lock and key or he's free now What's the deal!
Joe bidens snowflakes world
And now they want the WNBA to stop playing the National Anthem before games. Nice way to say “thank you.”
Should have kept her there. Every American or other innocents die because of that guy, She should know the blood of Americans is on her hands. And whatever the loud mouth Goldberg says on TV will show her true color.
Not an even trade but hey this fix all the democrats boxes!
What a shame. She hates America. Hopefully she will move to another country
How dare you disgusting maggots prioritize a hater who won’t stand for our national anthem over a US Marine who stood to defend our country? Shame on the China-owned Biden administration.
Not welcome
I want to trade for the other prisoners not her
Open borders, billions of dollars in military grade weapons abandoned in Afghanistan, notorious arms dealer released, what could possible go wrong. Biden the gift that keeps on giving.
Really that's the talking point - or was it simply that Whelan is a White Marine Veteran, doesn't vote Democrat & he's not Gay? Now Griner - she got busted for narcotics, is a Black lesbian & votes Democrat. For the Biden Regime that political calculation was a no brainer.
This is almost as bad as trading Donald Trump for Joe Biden
While I am happy she us free out if Russia, to also set a Terrorist Free, a Gilby that wants Americans DEAD Seems pretty lopsided. Ohh but wait.. She is also Female, Gay, Black and a BB Star Nvrmnd... My bad 🙄
NBCNews reported Biden had a choice to free 51 year old Marine, Paul Whalen, but chose Britney Griner instead. This is in direct contradiction to Biden’s own words where he said he had no choice. This is the worst trade since Lou Brock for Ernie Broglio.
What a pity 😡
“The Saudis helped broker the prisoner swap of Brittney Griner for Viktor Bout ONLY AFTER the White House ended its lawsuit against Mohammed bin Salman for murdering Washington Post reporter Jamal Khashoggi.”
This is insane the perverted pedophile we have in the White House traded a Russian arms dealer for Brittany Griner who despised her country until she needed it, instead of a Marine/Warrior that served his country Honorably for her right to disrespect her country.
Disgusting
FJB.
Ahh, if Kamala Harris had a daughter. Just like mom, bouncing balls for the man to get somewhere in life. What a proud moment for America lmao
Who said we the people wanted her back?
Russians could milked more of Brendan, Afghan...
Black privilege
😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡😡
More evidence of the WEAKNESS of this illegitimate President and the current administration. Once again leaving our Veterans and military behind.
This is insane that arms dealer will be selling us weapons we sent to Ukraine in Central and South America soon
Keep it.
America is so finished!
At least they are both free to unleash their hatred for america
Disgusting! How long will it take before she starts her hate America rant….
The worst trade in WNBA history.
Remeber when it was just a lonely white guy in a Russian prison and no one cared. Then a black, gay, female broke the law, got put in jail and the world cried out in agony about the injustice. blackprivilege, gayprivilege, femaleprivilege
This is why the US is a laughing stalk in the world stage.
One pot head for one terrorist. Ugh.
Rediculous. Really
Horrible deal
Now be sure to come back home and Trash The Country who accepts for who you are.
Now the Left will make her out as some kind of hero. She isn’t. I guess other Americans in prisons throughout the world are not as important as a basketball player. I know why she was freed in exchange for a death merchant and I think most people do as well.
Cheryl4moco Kind of ambivalent about this. The elite persist in acting like they are special and above the law. They take their go-to drugs with them everywhere they go, damn the locals and their quaint rules. But there is some possibility she was a pawn in a political game.
Russia wins again!! They get their extremely dangerous arms dealer back and we get our druggie basketball player. Meanwhile, Paul Whelan is still imprisoned.
Leaving WHELAN behind?! Griner took a knee, hates America OBiden screwed an American patriot. BIDEN IS WEAK I’m a passenger in a short bus driven by a feeble,traitorous, hate American President. Is this another Wendy Sherman failure?
It seems to me Russia got the best of this negotiation like every negotiation the Biden administration has with Russia
Boooo
That was a mistake.
I guess military vet are at the bottom of this Pres. priorities, only gay people are his priority. He wont even sign my pardon even 25 years after the crime and my human rights are violated everyday til he signs the pardon. Cruel and unusual punishment.
WNBA and star should not be in the same sentence
Maybe WNBA players get paid less… But they sure cost more.
Great job America. We have released an arms dealer for a pot smoking, America hating 'basketball player'. Great day for the world to continue to see Americas weekness! 2022 and forward motto...we are America, we are weak and fragile! Words hurt us to the core. Pansies!
What about the Marine!!
Go ahead & Google Viktor Bout,, Biden & his administration just got taken to the woodshed on this one. BidenIsALaughingstock
Biden gets played like a fiddle by every world leader
Both criminals are now free and put into our society. I think I found a loophole in the words justice system.
Hey White boy Whelan back to your cell. Next will be the invitation to NBA games and honoring her (after the National Anthem is played). I am a little surprised Biden and the Democrats didn’t wait until the next election but I’m sure they secured millions from the NBA. Disgusting
Dude should have stayed in prison
How many Americans have been left behind in the Afghanistan surrender?
It must be weird knowing that your release will cause, very probably, 1000s if not more people to die.
Everyone that does a trade with Biden or Obama really gets a bad deal. Obama trading the 5 taliban leaders for Bergdahl, and now Joe trades the merchant of death for Griner. He doesn’t even try to get Paul Whelan. What a clown show. Really bad trades.
She should rot in jail.
What a bad deal. Will she stand for Pledge now!? Nope, she will talk about a state of victimhood, with ZERO HUMILITY.
Who can we trade to get the J6 Patriots out and freed? elonmusk
Remember? She doesn’t like America!!
So now she can come back and hate on America again.
Keep telling yourself how much Biden hates Russia, Dems. That's always funny.
😡😡😡😡😡
Here’s your merchant of death……can we have our American hating lesbian basketball player back now? What a joke.
We all knew the Biden admin would get this wrong too.
Who cares. another criminal released by this mouth breathing leftist administration. soft on crime. We are doomed.
Magas will still find something to complain about.
Why? She hates America.Let her stay in a Russian prison...
It’s bittersweet. He’s out of Russia, but he hates America, I hate to see him coming back to the oppression he suffers through.
He looks happy
Hmm… Dope smokin’ women’s basketball player for an international arms dealer. Guess we do negotiate with terrorists.
She/it doesn't deserve to be released.
Perhaps we can next get some of our supporters in Afghanistan out.
Wait we traded a American hating basketball player for a world wide arms dealer? Seems legit🤔
Kids.... No more consequences for our actions.... Class dismissed.
Does Biden screw every thing up?
Hmm, America hating cannabis resin smuggler vs Hitman Arms Dealer, we sure got screwed without the pleasure
Traded a killer for a pot head. That seems fair.
It’s all about what Biden can get mileage from… Whelan is just not worth it to him!
The russian arms dealer will definitely be a great asset to the Russian war effort. Meanwhile we got a mediorce drug smuggling basketball has-been Good trade!
Bring home the Marine !!!!
Brilliant
Yea a trade for t- The Merchant Of Death🤔🤦♂️
Can’t wait for her to get back and tell us all how bad America is and kneel for the anthem
Who cares she got what she deserved that's all there is to it
Doesn't seem like an equitable trade.
We don’t want him back. Keep him.
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