Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich has been held in a Russian jail since March of last year after being arrested on espionage allegations. Soon after his detention, the US designated him “wrongfully detained.” Former President Donald Trump addressed this issue during the debate with current President Joe Biden, criticizing the administration for its lack of action in securing Gershkovich’s release. Trump promised that if re-elected, he would quickly secure the journalist’s freedom upon taking office.
I will have him out very quickly, as soon as I take office, before I take office,” Trump said from the CNN debate stage, continuing with “As soon as I win the election, I will have that reporter out.” Trump sought to paint a general picture of world leaders laughing at the US, specifically mentioning North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, Chinese President Xi Jinping, and Russian President Vladimir Putin. Trump also claimed that the only way Biden has been able to secure the release of Americans held in foreign prisons is by handing over billions of dollars when demanded by overseas despots.
Trump referenced a specific instance in which $6 billion was given to Iran to release five detained Americans in 2023, involving the freeing up of frozen Iranian assets primarily held in South Korea. He also mentioned that Putin is now demanding “billions of dollars” for Gershkovich’s release and that Putin “is laughing at this guy” – referring to Biden.
Gershkovich’s trial began in secret on Wednesday in Ekaterinburg, a city some 900 miles away from Moscow where Russia’s FSB arrested him last year. He appeared in court behind the typical defendant’s glass cage. Wall Street Journal’s Editor-in-Chief Emma Tucker stated that this “bogus accusation of espionage” would likely result in a “bogus conviction for an innocent man who would then face up to 20 years in prison for simply doing his job.” Trump hailed him as a “good guy” on Thursday night.
