After a historic prisoner swap on Aug. 1 between the United States, Russia and other countries, former President Donald Trump questioned the details and compared it to deals he struck during his presidency.
“When will they release details of the prisoner swap with Russia? How many people will we get in exchange? And will we pay them in cash too?” Trump tweeted on August 1. Social Truth“I have recovered many hostages, and I have given the enemy state nothing – and I have given them no money at all. Doing so sets a bad precedent for the future.”
Three American citizens were among the dead. released:U.S. Marine Paul Whelan, who was imprisoned in Russia for nearly six years; Wall Street Journal reporter Ivan Gershkovich, who was imprisoned in Russia for more than a year; and Alsu Kurmasheva, a journalist for Radio Liberty who was arrested in October 2023.
In exchange for the release of prisoners held in Russia, the United States and other countries released them. eight prisonersincluded Vadim KrasikovNational Security Adviser Jake Sullivan said no money was exchanged in the deal.
The Trump administration has released prisoners held by the U.S. government in exchange for other countries releasing Americans held abroad.
“There is always a trade-off in hostage diplomacy, as this case is known,” says Anthony Wannis St. John, an associate professor of peace, human rights, and cultural relations at American University, who specializes in conflict zone negotiations. “The trade-off may be material, it may be a mutual release, or a political concession that remains secret or symbolic.”
Below are some examples of prisoner exchanges and their terms during the Trump administration.
US citizen held in Iran was exchanged for Iranian citizen in 2019
In 2019, the United States Believer Xiyue Wang, a US citizen who had been detained in Iran since 2016, has been released. Wang was a graduate student at Princeton University conducting doctoral research when he was arrested in Tehran and imprisoned on espionage charges.
In exchange for Wang’s release, the United States agreed to release Massoud Soleimani, an Iranian scientist who had been arrested and charged with violating U.S. trade sanctions against Iran. The Justice Department had dropped the charges, and Soleimani was expected to be released from prison before the swap took place, the New York Times reported. Reported.
US veteran held in Iran released in exchange for Iranian-American doctor in 2020
In 2020, the Trump administration negotiated the release of Michael White, a U.S. Navy veteran who was imprisoned in 2018 after traveling to Iran to visit a woman he met online. White was serving a 10-year sentence after Iranian authorities convicted him of insulting Iran’s supreme leader and posting private information online, according to the Associated Press. Reported.
As part of this deal, the United States Agreed to release Matthew Tyree, also known as Majid Taheri, is an Iranian-American physician who violated U.S. sanctions on Iran. Tyree pleaded guilty and spent several months in prison before being released on bail. Projection Her accusations against Tyree.
Two Americans held in Yemen released in exchange for more than 200 Houthi militants in 2020
On October 14, 2020, the Trump administration secured the release of two Americans held hostage by Houthi rebels in Yemen: Sandra Loli and Mikael Jadadah. The remains of Bilal Fateen, an American who died in captivity, were also returned.
In return, more than 200 Houthi militants returned from Oman to Yemen, according to the sources. News ReportsThe Trump administration has not linked the two returns as an exchange, but the Wall Street Journal noted that Reported This was confirmed by American and Saudi officials.
“We extend our sincere thanks to Sultan Haitham bin Tariq of Oman and King Salman of Saudi Arabia for their efforts to secure the release of our citizens,” said National Security Advisor Robert O’Brien. then.
The United States agreed in 2017 to pay $2 million to an American citizen held in North Korea, but has not sent the money.
In June 2017, a medical team and a State Department representative returned to the University of Virginia. Otto Warmbier To the United States, after being held in North Korea for more than 17 months. Warmbier was in a North Korean prison. comaAfter a few days, He died.
On April 25, 2019, The Washington Post published Reported The Washington Post reported that North Korea had asked the United States to pay $2 million to cover Warmbier’s hospitalization costs. The newspaper reported that the American envoy sent to retrieve Warmbier signed an agreement to foot the bill under Trump’s orders.
“We paid no money for Otto the Great. No money was paid. There was a fake news report that money was paid.” Trump He said April 26, 2019.
But on April 28, 2019, White House National Security Advisor John Bolton said: Fox News Sunday “It appears that” North Korea asked for money from the United States, he said, adding, “That’s what I was told,” when asked if the U.S. envoy had signed a document agreeing to pay the money to recover Warmbier.
But Bolton, who was not working in the Trump administration at the time of Warmbier’s release, said the United States “absolutely” paid any money to North Korea for his release.
Our verdict
“I gave the opposition state nothing – I gave them no money at all,” Trump said in his remarks on the hostage release.
During the Trump administration, the U.S. government has released prisoners it was holding several times in exchange for the release of Americans held abroad.
In one case, the United States agreed to pay North Korea money for the release of an American citizen, but a White House official said the money was never sent.
Trump’s statement contains an element of truth because he did not offer any cash in exchange for the Americans’ release. However, the statement ignores crucial facts about the terms the United States agreed to in these exchanges.
We rate the statement as Mostly False.
Politifact researcher Karen Baird contributed to this report.
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