Labels

President Biden Makes Historic Hostage Release Deal, Trump Dejected (PHOTOS)

President Joe Biden negotiated a 7-country deal for the release of Russian-held hostages
President Joe Biden negotiated a historic 7-country deal for the release of Russian-held hostages


HISTORIC DAY FOR PRESIDENT BIDEN AND THE UNITED STATES 

Hostages Paul Whelan, Evan Gershkovich and Alsu Kermasheva have all been released from Russian captivity, thanks to a historic 7-country deal put together by President Joe Biden. Almost all of these hostages were captured during Donald Trump's disastrous presidency, but it was Joe Biden who negotiated for the release of the Marine veteran (Whelan), the Wall Street Journal reporter (Gershkovich), and the Russian-American journalist (Kermasheva). All of this during a time when the President was being pressured to step down by the mainstream media, who organized a vicious and ageist smear campaign against him. In fact, the deal was being intensely negotiated just one hour before Biden announced he was dropping out of the 2024 Presidential Race. The Biden-led 7-country deal included the release of nearly two dozen multi-national prisoners, including Putin opposition party leader Ilya Yashin. 

In a statement issued last month, Biden said of Wall Street Journal reporter, Evan Gershkovich, 

"As I have long said and the UN also concluded, there is no question that Russia is wrongfully detaining Evan. Journalism is not a crime. We will continue to stand strong for press freedom in Russia and worldwide, and stand against all those who seek to attack the press or target journalists."

Of Marine Paul Whelan, U.S. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said, 

"After a secret trial behind closed doors, Paul has spent years laboring in a Russian penal colony. In the past year alone, he has faced assault from other prisoners and harassment from Russian state-run media. For far too long, Paul and his family have suffered the consequences of the Russian government's decision to wrongfully detain U.S. citizens. Using people as political pawns is unacceptable."

After journalist Alsu Kermasheva was wrongfully convicted for "spreading false information," RFL/RE CEO Stephen Capus said, 

"This secret trial and conviction make a mockery of justice."

Despite enduring near-constant frenzied attacks by the mainstream media, President Biden did as he usually does and got the job done. Now, Whelan, Gershkovich, and Kermasheva are enjoying their freedom, and are safely home with their families.  


TRUMP REACTION

It was a historic day for America, but as is often the case with great days in the United States, it was a bad one for former President Trump. Trump had previously claimed that "only" he could get Vladimir Putin to release the hostages, as he promised that the Russian dictator would "only do that for me."


Instead of following the lead of good men like former President Jimmy Carter, who called the day his successor Ronald Reagan successfully negotiated for the release of the American hostages in Iran, "the greatest day" of his life, Trump instead lamented.

"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? Are they giving us cash (Please withdraw that question because I'm sure the answer is NO)? Are we releasing murderers, killers, or thugs? Just curious because we never make good deals, at anything, especially hostage swaps. Our "negotiators" are always an embarrassment to us! I got back many hostages, and gave the opposing country NOTHING -and never any cash. To do so is bad precedent for the future. That's the way it should be, or this situation will get worse and worse. They are extorting the United States of America. They're calling the trade "complex" - That's so nobody can figure out how bad it is."

The below photo shows the exact moment Trump was notified, of course, while playing golf, something he did more than any other president in history.

Trump at Bedminster, while being notified about the release of the hostages

It should be noted that there is no bad trade when it comes to bringing Americans back home. There is no monetary value that should be placed on the heads of American citizens, nor should the prayers of their families come with a price tag. When it comes to former Marine Paul Whelan, the Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces should certainly know better, but coming from someone who called deceased American soldiers "suckers" and "losers," it isn't too surprising. 

As author Eugene Robinson said, 

"I think that the reaction from both Trump and JD Vance....the only word that comes to mind is pathetic. It is just absolutely pathetic and incredible that they couldn't just say [they're] happy these Americans who were wrongfully detained by Vladimir Putin are home." 

THE PRESIDENT WAS BUSY 

The accomplishment is a major one for an administration that has quietly put together an upper echelon presidency, while the mainstream media remains silent on its accomplishments, even complicit against them. 

President Biden released the following statement along with a photo of the former hostages, who are, thanks to the valiant efforts of his administration, both "safe" and "free." 

In the words of the President, 

"After enduring unimaginable suffering and uncertainty, the Americans detained in Russia are safe, free, and have begun their journeys back into the arms of their families." 

A jubilant Biden celebrated with the families of the now-freed former hostages, 

"Today, I stood beside the families of Paul, Evan, Alsu, and Vladimir in the Oval Office as they spoke to their loved ones for the first time since they regained freedom. These families never lost hope. And today, they will each be reunited with a missing piece of their soul." 

Most ashamedly, while the President was hammering out the final pieces of this historic negotiation, the mainstream American media was questioning his whereabouts. It turns out he was incredibly busy making history and saving American lives. 

Biden was asked about Trump's comments regarding Putin only allowing for the release of the hostages as a special favor to him, Biden responded, 

"Why didn't he do it when he was President?"

Mic and drop. 

'SLEEPY JOE' RISES AGAIN

The President is often accused of being too old for the job, and derided as "Sleepy Joe," but it was Joe Biden, alongside VP Kamala Harris, who greeted the prisoners in the wee hours of the morning. As the former hostages exited the plane, they each embraced the President and the woman who will likely be his successor. All of this after weeks of grueling and intense 7-country negotiations. 

As President Biden looks on, freed Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich hugs his mother 

In an attempt to catch the President in a gotcha moment, the media suggested that the move was purely political, to which Biden replied, 

"I'd still get it done even if I was seeking a second term.....it didn't have anything to do with that. It had to do with the opportunity and trying to convince one last country to say, 'OK, we'll step up.'"

The mainstream media continues to press Biden, pushing him on the release of American teacher Marc Fogel. Fogel was not part of this latest deal and still sits in a Russian penal colony, awaiting his release. Biden, however, isn't done yet, and when asked by a reporter about Fogel, had this to say, 

"We're not giving up on that. You want me to tell you ahead of time, so that he doesn't get out?" 


Alsu Kermasheva embraces President Biden.

It should also be noted that murdered Russian opposition leader, Alexei Navalany, was also set to be part of the deal before his death in February.

With only 100 days left and Vice President Harris surging in the polls, Biden is in the right space to accomplish as much of his agenda as possible - or as he puts it, "to finish the job." Regardless of how it works out, the President is an American hero. As Biden approaches the proverbial finish line of his presidency, he will continue to put in the work toward what has become one of the greatest legacies in American presidential history. 

President Biden and Evan Gershkovich

In the President's words, "There is nothing this country can't do when we act together."

FURTHER READING: WNBA All Star Details Grueling Conditions in Russian Prison Camp





Labels:
Location: Chicago, IL, USA

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular Posts