WNBA player Brittney Griner expressed gratitude for former President Donald Trump’s initial support in securing her release from Russian imprisonment. However, she later felt disheartened when Trump criticized the Biden administration for the negotiated deal that brought her home.
Griner was held in Russia for 10 months after being arrested for transporting cannabis oil, which is illegal in the country. Her release came as part of a prisoner exchange for Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout, but it did not include Paul Whelan, a U.S. Marine who has been detained in a Russian prison since 2020 on espionage charges.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump questioned the exchange, calling it one-sided and unpatriotic for not including Whelan. In an interview with MSNBC, Griner said she felt like she was being used as a political pawn, first by Putin and then by Trump.
Despite feeling cautiously optimistic about her release, Griner admitted to being scared that it could fall apart at any moment. She also expressed disappointment at not seeing Whelan on the plane when she left Russia.
Griner shared her experiences in Russian prison and her release in her new book, which was released recently.
