Who warrants greater urgency in the eyes of the Biden Administration, a sports star or a former United States Marine? It appeared to many that Biden and his cabinet placed a higher emphasis on the athlete when WNBA player Brittney Griner was traded for Victor Bout—known to many as the Merchant of Death—instead of former Marine Paul Whelan. On the latest episode of the Drill Down Podcast, Peter Schweizer and Eric Eggers explore how the Biden Administration may be misleading the public regarding the most recent prisoner exchange.
Biden’s Press Secretary, Karine Jean-Pierre, said “The choice was: bring Brittney home or no one.”But according to Whelan’s lawyer, Vladimir Zherebenkov, the United States Marine was offered as a 1-to-1 swap for Bout prior to Griner’s arrest. This offer was ultimately declined by U.S. officials. NBC News, however, stated Griner and Whelan were both sought by the United States government in the beginning of the deal, but Russia made them choose. After the Biden Administration claimed only Griner was offered, the article on NBC News’ website changed its story.
The true story remains elusive.
Tune in to the latest episode of the Drill Down podcast for more information on what happened leading up to the release of Brittney Griner.
