Biden to meet family members of Russian detainees Brittney Griner, Paul Whelan
NBCMAR 28 2022
The Spin
Republican narrative
While there's no doubt that Griner's sentencing is harsh, the reality is that Americans overseas are subject to foreign laws, as thousands of similar cases can attest to. Biden's unprecedented efforts, including the consideration of a prisoner swap for one of the world's most prolific arms dealers, seems contingent on her fame and political value, rather than the nature of the case — a clear attempt to earn political points at the cost of national security.
Democratic narrative
There's nothing unprecedented about Biden's efforts: prisoner swaps have long been used as a successful strategy to bring detained Americans home, and this policy — which has been applied to both prominent and unknown individuals — shouldn't be abandoned now. The State Dept. has been working diligently for months to free Griner and Whelan, and should continue to do so.