It’s Another Terrible Day for White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre – Watch
“It’s a terrible day in the neighborhood, a terrible day in the neighborhood…” That’s got to be the song that White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre is singing these days.
She was speaking with reporters at the White House Thursday afternoon and she attempted to explain why WNBA player Brittney Griner was released from Russian custody while U.S. Marine Paul Whelan remains falsely imprisoned.
“The Russians were not willing to negotiate in good faith at this time for the release of Paul Whelan,” Jean-Pierre said. “It was either Brittney or no one at all.”
She also had to conform to the reporters that Viktor Bout, a Russian arms dealer known as the “Merchant of Death,” is a national security threat to the United States after being released from a U.S. prison in exchange for Griner.
One reporter said to KJP, “You said the United States would stay vigilant. It sounds like the administration still sees [Viktor Bout] as a security threat, no?”
She replied that America was always going to stay vigilant.
The reporter followed with, “So you still have security concerns?”
KJP said, “I’m not the intelligence committee here.”
What makes all of this so much worse is that Brittany is free and now this worldwide criminal is free, and one of our few good men still is being unjustly held in a dreadful Russian prison.
In an interview with CNN, Whelan shared deep frustration with the U.S. government due to their failure to get him home.
“I am greatly disappointed that more has not been done to secure my release, especially as the four year anniversary of my arrest is coming up. I was arrested for a crime that never occurred,” Whelan told CNN. “I don’t understand why I’m still sitting here.”
The family of Whelan also expressed disappointment about the lack of progress in his case. The marine’s brother, David Whelan, said that he was glad that Brittney Griner was on her way home. But he also said that his brother has worked so hard to survive after almost 4 years of unjust imprisonment in Russia. And when he heard about the work being done by the White House administration, his hopes soared.
And all KJP could say is that she was not on the intelligence committee. That is a terrible day.
KJP: "It was either bringing Brittney [Griner] home, or no one at all." pic.twitter.com/1DbffvcQ6t
— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) December 8, 2022
"You said the United States would stay vigilant. It sounds like the administration still sees [Viktor Bout] as a security threat, no?"
KJP: "We are always going to stay vigilant."
"So you still have security concerns?"
KJP: "I'm not the intelligence committee here." pic.twitter.com/m1XUVvwox3
— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) December 8, 2022
EXCLUSIVE: Detained American Paul Whelan tells me he is "disappointed" the Biden administration has not done more to secure his release after he was left behind in Russia. He said he is happy that fellow detained American Brittney Griner was freed today https://t.co/N4ORxArcTW
— Jennifer Hansler (@jmhansler) December 8, 2022
