Trump Calls Brittney Griner A 'Potentially Spoiled Person,' Opposes Prisoner Exchange With An 'Absolute Killer'

Former President Donald Trump has called Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) player Brittney Griner, who has been detained in Russia for allegedly possessing of hash oil, “a potentially spoiled person.”

What Happened: Trump made his comments about Griner on the “Clay Travis & Buck Sexton Show” on Friday.

The former U.S. leader said Griner went into a “hostile territory where they're very vigilant about drugs.”

“She got caught, and now we're supposed to get her out,” said Trump. "But we're supposed to get her out for [an] absolute killer, and one of the biggest arms dealers in the world killed many Americans, and he's going to get a free card.”

Trump’s comments referred to a potential prisoner exchange deal involving swapping Griner and former U.S. Marine Paul Whalen for Viktor Bout, a convicted Russian arms dealer and former KGB agent.

Trump said Bout was “going to be given his freedom because a potentially spoiled person goes into Russia loaded up with drugs.”

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Why It Matters: Trump pointed to Griner’s statement in a Russian court that she brought cannabis oil into Russia.

Griner was detained on Feb. 17, just before the U.S.-Russia tensions escalated due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine a week later.

Recently, Tesla Inc TSLA CEO Elon Musk also opined on the freeing of Griner from prison, saying people have been jailed in the U.S. too for possessing weed.

Trump is currently the Chair of Trump Media & Technology Group, set to go public by merging with Digital World Acquisition Corp DWAC. 

Price Action: On Friday, DWAC shares closed 0.07% lower at $30.17 in the regular session, according to data from Benzinga Pro. 

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