Donald Trump has branded Brittney Griner a 'America-hating basketball player', blasting the Biden Administration for its role in freeing her from Russian custody.
The former United States president described the entire thing as a 'one-sided disaster' and a 'big win for Russia'.
Last week, the United States and Russia reached an agreement to swap WNBA star Griner in exchange for notorious firearms dealer Viktor Bout AKA 'The Merchant of Death'.
The deal was widely criticised with people questioning why Griner, who was slapped with a nine-year prison sentence on drug charges, was given special treatment over anyone else.
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Now in the wake of Griner's release, Trump has broken his silence on the matter, blasting the Biden Administration.
"The Trump Administration got 58 hostages released from various hostile countries without paying any money, or giving up anything," Trump wrote on his Truth Social website.
"That is something, both in numbers and lack of remuneration, that has never been done before in any other administration."
He added: "The America hating basketball player for the 'Merchant of Death', especially when the former Marine is not even included, is a one-sided disaster, and a BIG WIN FOR RUSSIA. If I made that deal the Dems would chant, RUSSIA, RUSSIA, RUSSIA!"
When news broke that Griner was on her way back to American shores, Biden released a statement to provide an update on her status.
"After months of being unjustly detained in Russia, held under intolerable circumstances, Brittney will soon be back
in the arms of her loved ones, and she should have been there all along," the White House said.
"This is a day we’ve worked toward for a long time. We never stopped pushing for her release.
"It took painstaking and intense negotiations, and I want to thank all the hardworking public servants across my administration who worked tirelessly to secure her release."
He added: "People all across the country have learned about Brittney’s story, advocated for her release, stood with her throughout this terrible ordeal. And I know that support meant a lot to her family.
"I’m glad to be able to say that Brittney is in good spirits. She's relieved to finally be heading home. And the fact remains that she’s lost months of her life, experienced a needless trauma, and she deserves space, privacy, and time with her loved ones to recover and heal from her time being wrongfully detained."
Topics: United States, Basketball, NBA, Russia
Max Sherry