Sen. JD Vance (R-Ohio) suggested on Thursday that fear of a second Trump administration motivated Russia to agree to the historic prisoner swap with the U.S., in an interview with CNN.
Vance, former President Trump’s 2024 running mate, called the prisoner exchange “great news."
“We certainly want these Americans to come back home. It was ridiculous that they were in prison to begin with,” Vance said.
“But we have to ask ourselves: Why are they coming home? 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,” he said. “That's a good thing, and I think it's a testament to Donald Trump's strength.”
The prisoner swap, which involved seven countries, was the largest prisoner swap between the U.S. and Russia since the end of the Cold War.
Biden's national security adviser Jake Sullivan was asked about Vance's remarks during a White House briefing Thursday.
"I don't follow," he said, before moving to the next question.
More than two dozen prisoners were part of the swap, according to the Turkish presidential office, which helped facilitate the exchange. The prisoners were released from the United States, Germany, Poland, Slovenia, Norway, Russia and Belarus.
Among those freed by Russia were Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich and former U.S. Marine Paul Whelan, President Biden confirmed in a statement.
Others freed include Alsu Kurmasheva, a dual U.S.-Russian citizen and journalist with Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, and Vladimir Kara-Murza, a U.S. resident and prominent Russian opposition politician. Allies of the late opposition leader Alexei Navalny are reportedly included, as well.
The prisoners freed by the West included Vadim Krasikov, a convicted Russian assassin, according to Turkey.
A reporter asked President Biden on Thursday about Trump previously saying he would have gotten hostages out without giving anything in exchange.
“Why didn’t he do it when he was president?” Biden replied.
