JD Vance Calls Biden’s Russian Hostage Deal a ‘Testament to Donald Trump’s Strength’

Senator JD Vance (R-OH) praised his running mate, former President Donald Trump, for his nonexistent role in the release of Evan Gershkovich and Paul Whelan from Russian detainment.

News broke early Thursday morning of a multi-national prisoner swap negotiated primarily by President Joe Biden, Russian President Vladimir Putin, and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, among many other international dignitaries. While the reporting on this massive story of the stunning exchange is still fluid, it seems that Trump had nothing to do with any of it.

That didn’t keep Vance from praising Trump’s “strength” in a comment provided to CNN’s Steve Contorno.

“Look, I think it’s great news, at least what little we know,” Vance said. “We certainly want these Americans to come back home. It was ridiculous that they were in prison to begin with.”

“But we have to ask ourselves, why are they coming home?” added Vance while cynically pivoting to partisan politics. “And I think it’s because bad guys all over the world recognize Donald Trump’s about to be back in office, so they’re cleaning house. That’s a good thing. And I think it’s a testament to Donald Trump’s strength.”

Trump had previously boasted that he would be the only one to be able to release the US prisoners and would do so without giving anything up. As Biden stepped away from the podium, a reporter asked him: “President Trump has said repeatedly that he could have gotten the hostages out without giving them anything in exchange. What do you say to that? What do you say to President Trump now? Former President Trump?”

Biden’s answer: “Why didn’t he do it when he was president?”

Watch above via CNN.

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