Florida Senator Marco Rubio, the top Republican on the Senate intelligence committee, said the Biden administration had reached a “bad deal” in securing Brittney Griner’s release, and expressed relief that she was free.
Rubio warned the deal would “encourage the admission of more Americans around the world.”
“An American citizen held hostage has been released which is good news. I think the challenge this points to is, these modes know this. This is why Maduro traded five Citgo executives – who were lured to Venezuela to be arrested – for his grandchildren who were convicted of drug trafficking. That’s why you trade a professional basketball player for (marijuana) oil for the Merchant of Death. These are bad deals,” said Rubio, referencing a prisoner exchange involves US oil executives held by Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro.
Asked by CNN if he would make the deal if he were president, Rubio said he hopes the deal with the Russians “will be part of a broader agreement that includes every American is being held hostage.”
“We have to recognize that, even if we are happy when Americans return home, it encourages the sending of more Americans around the world,” he said.
Rubio added that he thinks Griner will be “greatly grateful and appreciative of the greatness and specialness of this country.”
Other Republican leaders also criticized the deal:
Florida Congressman Mike Waltz told Fox News he’s “happy for the Griner family, but in the long run, appeasing terrorists, appeasing authoritarian regimes is never in the United States’ interest.”
Waltz has criticized the lack of a deal to release Whelan.
“My heart breaks for the Whelan family,” he said. “What is his crime? Not a celebrity? Not checking enough boxes for Hollywood? The fact that we left behind a US Marine and made this choice, and I don’t believe… President Biden said we had no other choice.”
Wyoming Senator John Barrasso echoed that view in an interview with Fox Business.
“It was completely wrong to leave the Marines there,” he said, referring to Paul Whelan. “He may not be forgotten but he is still there.”
