Brittney Griner has been set free by Russia, and all it took was the Biden administration agreeing to give them back arms dealer Viktor Bout, aka the Merchant of Death. Pretty reasonable as prisoner swaps go. Or at least it’s reasonable if your priorities are completely out of whack.
It’s a genuine travesty that Griner was imprisoned in Russia for such a minor infraction. But is it not also a travesty that the Biden administration traded Bout for Griner and left retired Marine Paul Whelan behind to continue to rot?
Supposedly, the Biden administration’s hands were tied:
The U.S. explored a wide range of proposals to try to resolve both the Griner and Whelan cases, a senior administration official said.
But in recent weeks, it became clear that the swap would entail either bringing Griner back alone or no one at all https://t.co/1jb2Eoh4G8
— Semafor (@semafor) December 8, 2022
That spin was echoed today by White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre, who is not known for being forthright with the public about, well, anything:
KJP: "The choice was bring Brittney home or no one. The president will never stop working to secure Paul Whelan's release. On a personal note, Brittney is an important role model, an inspiration to millions of Americans particularly the LGBTQI+ Americans and women of color" pic.twitter.com/ClbGi6ysbq
— Greg Price (@greg_price11) December 8, 2022
Thanks for your personal note, Karine. How nice that Griner inspired millions of LGBTQI+ women of color by getting detained by Russia for a harmless albeit incredibly stupid decision. We’re sure all the LGBTQI+ people of the world are feeling inspired as well, especially if they’re living in countries that are home to anti-LGBTQI+ terrorists who will be supplied with all kinds of weapons by Viktor Bout. Brownie points for the Biden administration from the LGBTQI+ community are obviously the most important thing to take into consideration when negotiating with an openly hostile foreign power.
Jean-Pierre on Brittney Griner’s release: "She represents the best of America."pic.twitter.com/6ZfRryEkp8
— Daily Wire (@realDailyWire) December 8, 2022
What do our Marines represent? https://t.co/pPlnmgfz59
— Anna James Zeigler (@ajzeigler) December 8, 2022
Apparently not much to this administration. At least not enough to draw a line in the sand.
Seriously, how did the Biden administration end up in a position in which they found themselves with no other option but to give Bout up for Griner and Griner alone? We seem to remember then-presidential candidate Joe Biden informing the American people that he’s “the only person in this field who’s ever gone toe-to-toe with” Vladimir Putin:
https://t.co/ls37LD19sa pic.twitter.com/0WrhWgJS2k
— Stephen L. Miller (@redsteeze) December 8, 2022
From where we’re sitting, it looks like Putin stomped on Biden’s toes and then pantsed him. It’s so embarrassing. For Biden and for this country. But even more than that, it’s also incredibly dangerous.
.@SeungMinKim: "I'm wondering if the administration's concerned about whether there's any precedent set…about what the U.S….is willing to trade…to release Americans imprisoned abroad?"
KJP: "So…[Biden] believed it was the right thing to do…There was a moral obligation" pic.twitter.com/o689rBJM13
— Curtis Houck (@CurtisHouck) December 8, 2022
A moral obligation? The president’s moral obligation is to the people of this country and to our national security, and in one fell swoop, he empowered Putin — and likely other morally bankrupt, murderous despots — to do this to more Americans in the future.
Morally speaking Biden made a decision that made the world worse https://t.co/JyZJxEJLLa
— Ahmed Al Assliken (@assliken) December 8, 2022
And on top of all of that, this administration genuinely does not seem to care.
Do they have no idea how bad this sounds? https://t.co/WM63CfDFFy
— Ellen Carmichael (@ellencarmichael) December 8, 2022
Their concern is not with Paul Whelan. It’s not with us. It’s not even with Griner; it’s with their woke image. And maybe this will give their woke image a boost. Unfortunately, none of that’s going to matter when something like this happens again. And again and again and again.
bringing home all Americans being held abroad is the right thing to do.
this administration's commitment to pandering to every damn interest group is predictable and grotesque. https://t.co/SY4Um7myPS
— Ryan (@alwaysonoffense) December 8, 2022
Editor’s note: This post has been updated with an additional tweet and text.
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Update:
Keep inspiring that confidence, Karine:
"You said the United States would stay vigilant. It sounds like the administration still sees [Viktor Bout] as a security threat, no?"
KJP: "We are always going to stay vigilant."
"So you still have security concerns?"
KJP: "I'm not the intelligence committee here." pic.twitter.com/m1XUVvwox3
— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) December 8, 2022
Good Lord.
The spokesman for the Commander-in-Chief can’t comment on security issues because she’s not in Congress, apparently https://t.co/4NDeCqFocx
— Sunny McSunnyface (@sunnyright) December 8, 2022
We’re screwed, guys.
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