It would appear that the Russian state media is very amused at Joe Biden’s decision to prioritize the release of WNBA player Brittney Griner over former U.S. Marine Paul Whelan from a Russian prison.

In fact, this is downright amusing to the Russian media. According to this, RT editor in chief Margarita Simonyan she was “very amused but not surprised” that the Biden administration swapped Griner, rather than Whelan.

This is very amusing according to Russia. Why? Three reasons:

His first problem is that he is white. His second problem is he is a man. His third problem: He is a heterosexual. This is not something that can be forgiven today.”--Margarita Simonyan

Granted, Paul Whelan is no saint. But even Russia sees through the virtue-signaling and the optics our current administration wants to uphold.

American voters were given a choice: a hero who suffered while serving his fatherland … or a black lesbian, hooked on drugs, who suffered for a vape with hashish.”-Margarita Simonyan

The Russian media (just like CNN and MSNBC here in the motherland) is not devoid of also spreading propaganda and false narratives. Paul Whelan is not a “Hero” or true picture of what a United States Marine should look like. He’s got a rap sheet. He wrote bad checks. He, apparently, stole equipment whilst in Iraq. Griner? Well, she knew the rules. She got busted for carrying marijuana. Now before the pro-Mary Jane folk say “it was just a little weed”, allow me to say this: Griner knew the rules; she chose to think that she was above them. The Biden Administration has traded a hardcore criminal who committed crimes on our soil for a spoiled, little brat who sat in a locker room during the national anthem who chose to carry a substance that is illegal in Russia.

Sure, let’s give Russia back Viktor Bout. Makes sense. Almost as much sense as Biden’s dementia-induced ramblings.

“Back to work immediately,” Viktor goes for Putin. But all is well in The United States of America. Where a WNBA star can protest the National Anthem in a locker room and carry illegal substances with her into and out of a country with harsh penalties for carrying such substances. The Biden Administration could not possibly let a lesbian, woman of color sweat it out in a Russian penal colony for years. That would be inhumane and, certainly, not a good look for us.

What is a good look for us? Releasing the Merchant of Death, apparently.

The second good news is that [the United States] spits on its heroes to the extent that it considers it significantly more important to free a rightfully charged, well-known athlete. This says a lot about the state of this society, of these intelligence agencies, and everything related to geopolitical confrontation.”-Margarita Simonyan

What was the first “good news”, according to Simonyan? Bout’s actual release from our custody. Now, think about this for but a moment. Why would this be “good news” for Russia according to Russian propagandists, hmmm?

Reporter: “Mr. President, what do you say to the bipartisan criticism of the Griner swap?”

Biden does not answer and walks away. pic.twitter.com/9eJO56KNeb

— Washington Free Beacon (@FreeBeacon) December 8, 2022

I’m going to protest regardless. I’m not going to be out there for the national anthem. If the league continues to want to play it, that’s fine. It will be all season long, I’ll not be out there. I feel like more are going to probably do the same thing. I can only speak for myself.”-Brittney Griner

Will she protest regardless now? Only time will tell.

This is not about who the Biden administration chose to trade for Viktor Bout but more about the optics this sends to our biggest adversaries. And this is not the first time one of our adversaries have mocked Joe Biden’s foreign policy. China has called him “powerless“. Make no mistake that Russia is taking advantage of Biden’s “fatigue and sometimes forgetfulness“.

Biden must have forgotten all of the horrific crimes of the Merchant of Death. I mean, we should have been able to bring at least two of our citizens (to include Griner) home for that trade. Not once did old Joe look up from his pudding cup and think about this as a negotiating point, like at all? That would have been the bipartisan thing to do. Paul Whelan may not have been the picture-perfect Marine, but he still served his country in some capacity. Even in the heat of a diplomatic situation with our adversaries such as this, our feckless administration still cannot get past their fragile egos enough to have the balls to negotiate for all of our citizens who are locked up and detained in a Russian prison. They only cherry pick a chosen one.

Brittney Griner is coming home.

Just incredibly good news.

Thank you to President Biden and everyone in the administration who made this happen, as well as the advocates who pushed for it. https://t.co/xwAIyArOoK

— Hillary Clinton (@HillaryClinton) December 8, 2022

Oh, shut up, you old bag. (BTWs, she turned off comments for this on Twitter.) Thank you, Joe Biden!

Of course the Russian state media finds the Biden administration’s choice “amusing”. And, as Viktor Bout gets released back into Putin’s custody, they are laughing at Joe Biden and therefore, at us. They are downright toasting to his sheer stupidity. Pour yourself a glass, comrades. Na Zdorovie!

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Photo Credit: Original Artwork by VG, Darleen Click