‘Putin Will Do That For Me’: Trump Drops Campaign Clip Claiming Russia Will Release WSJ Reporter Only If He’s Reelected

Former President Donald Trump released a campaign clip on Tuesday in which he doubled down on the wild claim that Russian President Vladimir Putin will release jailed Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich if he’s reelected president.

“Evan Gershkovich, the reporter for The Wall Street Journal who is being held by Russia, will be released almost immediately after the election,” Trump said in the clip posted to social media, adding:

But definitely before I assume office, he will be home. He will be safe. Vladimir Putin, president of Russia, will do that for me. And I don’t believe he’ll do it for anyone else. And we will be paying nothing. Biden likes to pay massive numbers. We will be paying nothing. Thank you very much.

Trump made the claim before in a Truth Social post in late May, posting almost word for word the same message. At the time, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that the Russian government hasn’t had “any contacts with Donald Trump.”

“Regarding [US-Russian] contacts on the matter of incarcerated and convicted individuals, we can say that these contacts must be carried out in total secrecy,” continued Peskov. “This is the only way they can be effective.”

Critics of Trump replied with shock and anger at Trump’s message and accused him of incentivizing Putin to keep Gershkovich prisoner.

Rep. Brendan Boyle (D-PA) replied to the clip on social media, saying, “This is sick, even for Trump.”

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