'Why are they coming home?' JD Vance gives bizarre response to US-Russia prisoner swap

01 August 2024

President Joe Biden on Thursday announced the finalization of a 24-prisoner exchange involving five different countries that resulted in the release of falsely imprisoned journalist Evan Gershkovich and other American captives. But the 2024 Republican presidential ticket's response to the news has prompted head-scratching.

On Thursday afternoon, former President Donald Trump notably did not express any appreciation for the safe return of Gershkovich or former U.S. Marine Paul Whelan, who have been held prisoner in Russia since early 2023 and 2018, respectively. Instead, he lamented about the complexity of the deal and suggested without evidence that the Biden administration gave cash to Russian President Vladimir Putin in exchange for the American hostages.

Sen. JD Vance (R-Ohio) — whom Trump selected as his running mate last month – had a puzzling response of his own when asked about the prisoner exchange. According to CNN, the Ohio Republican acknowledged that the news of U.S. citizens and residents being released as part of the deal was "great news, at least what little we know," and that it was "ridiculous that they were in prison to begin with." However, he then pivoted to suggesting that Trump was more responsible for the safe return of the hostages than the Biden administration.

"But we have to ask ourselves, why are they coming home?” Vance told the network. “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.”

Vance's statement drew mockery on social media. Matt Steinglass — a Europe correspondent for the Economist — posted sarcastically to the social media platform Bluesky: "Why did the sun go down? I think it’s because it’s scared. Scared of Donald Trump. It’s a tribute to Donald Trump’s unimaginable majesty." Former New York Daily News journalist Helen Kennedy piled on, noting that "even Trump didn't have the chutzpah to claim credit."

Northwestern University law professor wrote that her "mind goes immediately to this," and posted a screenshot of the 1962 film "The Manchurian Candidate," in which Frank Sinatra's character (who has been brainwashed) repeats the mantra, "Raymond Shaw is the kindest, bravest, warmest, most wonderful human being I’ve ever known in my life."

Vance's argument that Trump's "strength" resulted in the release of the American captives makes even less sense when considering that Trump said in May that only he would be able to negotiate the release of the prisoners, and that he would do so during Biden's lame-duck period after the election. On his Truth Social platform, Trump promised that Putin would release Gershkovich "for me, but not for anyone else."

"Evan Gershkovich, the Reporter from The Wall Street Journal, who is being held by Russia, will be released almost immediately after the Election, but definitely before I assume Office. He will be HOME, SAFE, AND WITH HIS FAMILY," Trump wrote.

In addition to his comments about the prisoner swap, Vance was also asked about what he thought of Trump's comments during a live interview at a National Association of Black Journalists event on Wednesday. During that interview, Trump suggested that Vice President Kamala Harris only recently started to identify as Black (she attended Howard University, which is a historically Black college, and joined the historically Black sorority Alpha Kappa Alpha).

Vance, who has three biracial children with his Indian American wife, Usha, said the former president's comments were "totally reasonable" and that they "don’t give me pause at all."

"Look, all he said is that Kamala Harris is a chameleon," said Vance, who once referred to Trump as "America's Hitler" in a text message. "She is everything to everybody, and she pretends to be somebody different depending on which audience she is in front of. I think it’s totally reasonable for the president to call that out, and that’s all he did."

Click here to read CNN's full report.

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