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— NAVIGATING THE INSANITY* —
(This is both news and satire)
Donald Trump raised some eyebrows Saturday night when he said Russia’s President Vladimir Putin came out ahead in the largest prisoner swap between Moscow and the West since the end of the Cold War.
“I would like to congratulate Vladimir Putin for having made yet another great deal,” Trump said during a rally in Georgia, adding that Western countries released “some of the greatest killers.”
It should surprise nobody that this is false.
Among the eight prisoners (plus the two children of a couple convicted of spying) that Russia received in the exchange, one was a convicted murderer.
Vadim Krasikov, an assassin of Putin’s spy service, was convicted of killing Zelimkhan Khangoshvili, a Chechen from Georgia who had fought and worked against Russia.
The others were spies, fraudsters, and hackers.
In return, Western countries received 16 persons held in Russia and Belarus, including American journalist Evan Gershkovich, a reporter for The Wall Street Journal; former Marine Paul Whelan; and Russian American journalist Alsu Kurmasheva.
In an earlier Truth Social post, Trump had (incorrectly) claimed that he “got back many hostages, and gave the opposing Country NOTHING – and never any cash.”
That is only true if you don’t count the 5,000 Taliban who were let go after Trump struck a deal with the movement’s leaders. Or the 200 Houthi militants that were released in exchange for two Americans held in Yemen. Or a couple of prisoner swaps with Iran. Or another one with the Taliban.
You get the drift.
Politically, it might seem pretty crazy that a presidential candidate would praise Putin for a deal that brings three imprisoned Americans home.
Of course, Trump doesn’t really have to worry about criticism from his own ranks, or that the media will cover his comments in detail.
That’s the benefit of leading a cult and having numbed journalists to his insanity.
But, maybe, there was a method to his madness in this case.
(This is where the satire part begins)
The point of these deals is for Moscow to get back some of its assets held abroad in exchange for individuals it holds for various (often) trumped-up offenses.
Now, can you think of somebody who has proven to be incredibly valuable for Russia and who may be imprisoned in the United States in the future?
We’ll give you a hint: Russia has gone to great lengths to make this person president, and he is a convicted felon currently awaiting additional trials (including for trying to keep the rightfully elected president out of office).
Just bear with us: Would it not be the greatest story of all time if, in a couple of years, Putin will cut a deal to spring Trump from a Georgia jail to bring him to the country he has been more loyal to than the United States?
Maybe then, some in the GOP would find it within themselves to criticize the former president for his unwavering allegiance to Russia.
*In his Navigating the Insanity columns, Klaus Marre provides the kind of hard-hitting, thought-provoking, and often funny analysis you won’t find anywhere else.
