February 23, 2025
President Donald Trump loves his country, has a record of advancing Americans' interests, and knows how to make a deal. By contrast, turnip-brained former President Joe Biden spent most of his lengthy and shameful political career selling out his country and enriching his family at the public's expense. Thus, when...

President Donald Trump loves his country, has a record of advancing Americans’ interests, and knows how to make a deal.

By contrast, turnip-brained former President Joe Biden spent most of his lengthy and shameful political career selling out his country and enriching his family at the public’s expense.

Thus, when negotiating prisoner swaps, it stands to reason that Trump would reach a far better agreement than Biden did.

Outside the White House on Tuesday, Trump greeted Marc Fogel, an American teacher arrested in Russia in August 2021 on charges related to medical marijuana and held in a Russian prison ever since. Steve Witkoff, Trump’s friend and chief negotiator, secured Fogel’s release.

When asked by a reporter what he gave up in exchange for Fogel, Trump replied “not much.”

Indeed, the president always tells the truth, but he has seldom spoken truer words than those.

According to The Washington Times, Trump secured Fogel’s release by agreeing to exchange Alexander Vinnik, a Russian cybercriminal who pleaded guilty in May to conspiracy to commit money laundering.

In other words, Trump swapped a non-violent Russian criminal for a teacher who committed no actual crime under American law.

Biden, on the other hand, freed a man whose subsequent activities might already have resulted in the loss of life.

Did Trump make the right deal, exchanging Vinnik for Fogel?

Yes: 100% (104 Votes)

No: 0% (0 Votes)

Under similar circumstances in 2022, Biden traded Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout, nicknamed the “Merchant of Death,” in exchange for WNBA player Brittney Griner, imprisoned in Russia on authentic but comparatively insignificant drug charges.

Meanwhile, in August, Bout reportedly resumed his old arms-dealing ways.

Worse yet, he agreed to supply $10 million worth of automatic weapons to the Yemen-based, Iranian-backed Houthis, a terror group that had targeted nearly 100 ships in the Red Sea, including American warships and merchant vessels.

Bout neither confirmed nor denied the report.

Griner, of course, was in prison more as a political tool than a hardened criminal, though she did break Russian law.

Related:

Yes, Trump Told ‘Nasty Person’ Kaitlan Collins to Shut Up, But It’s What He Said Afterward That Was Even Rougher

Nonetheless, the fact remains that Biden purchased a woke basketball player’s freedom at the near-certain cost of other people’s lives.

By contrast, Trump exchanged a non-violent criminal who committed cryptocurrency-related crimes, the details of which many would probably find bewildering.

In short, the ultimate deal-maker president told the truth when he said that he had freed Fogel at the cost of “not much.”

Michael Schwarz holds a Ph.D. in History and has taught at multiple colleges and universities. He has published one book and numerous essays on Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, and the Early U.S. Republic. He loves dogs, baseball, and freedom. After meandering spiritually through most of early adulthood, he has rediscovered his faith in midlife and is eager to continue learning about it from the great Christian thinkers.

Michael Schwarz holds a Ph.D. in History and has taught at multiple colleges and universities. He has published one book and numerous essays on Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, and the Early U.S. Republic. He loves dogs, baseball, and freedom. After meandering spiritually through most of early adulthood, he has rediscovered his faith in midlife and is eager to continue learning about it from the great Christian thinkers.

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