The Daily Mail reports that President Biden zoned out last night at the homecoming of the American hostages whose freedom he ransomed. Vice President Harris was also on hand to comment and her comments are quoted with some derision in the Daily Mail story.
Announcing the deal in this statement yesterday afternoon, Biden concluded with this question and answer:
Q President Trump has said repeatedly that he could have gotten the hostages out without giving anything in exchange. What do you say to that? What do you say to President Trump — now former President Trump?
THE PRESIDENT: Why didn’t he do it when he was president?
Two (Evan Gershkovich and Alsu Kurmasheva) of the three Americans whose freedom Biden secured were taken prisoner during Biden’s own term in office. The third (Paul Whelan) was arrested in Russia in December 2018 and sentenced to prison for spying in June 2020. Green card holder Vladimir Kara-Murza was also ransomed. He has been imprisoned since 2022, also on Biden’s watch.
Trump national security adviser Robert O’Brien spoke with Hugh Hewitt yesterday. Hugh quotes O’Brien’s here on X. I have posted a screenshot of O’Brien’s statement in full below.
Hugh also quotes a comment from John Elli’s daily News Items in the tweet below.
From “News Items” (https://t.co/c3XShxdhFQ) from @EllisItems: pic.twitter.com/VVDuipnxYl
— Hugh Hewitt (@hughhewitt) August 2, 2024
