Trump Claims His Relationship With Putin Can Help Free WSJ Reporter: ‘Putin Will Do That for Me’

Presumptive Republican nominee for president, Donald Trump, asserted that he will leverage his connections with Russian President Vladimir Putin to secure the release of Wall Street Journal journalist Evan Gershkovich from a Russian jail. Following the U.S. presidential election on November 5, in which he would face off against President Joe Biden again, Trump claimed on his Truth Social media platform that the journalist would be released, per Reuters.

"Evan Gershkovich, the Reporter from The Wall Street Journal, who is being held by Russia, will be released almost immediately after the Election, but definitely before I assume Office. He will be HOME, SAFE, AND WITH HIS FAMILY," Trump said in a Truth Social post. "Vladimir Putin, President of Russia, will do that for me, but not for anyone else, and WE WILL BE PAYING NOTHING!"

Gershkovich was detained in March 2023 in Russia on suspicion of espionage, an accusation he, his publication, and the Biden administration have all vehemently refuted. Without a trial date scheduled, he has been detained in a Moscow prison for almost a year. Much like his promise to negotiate an end to Russia's invasion of Ukraine within 24 hours if he's elected, Trump made no mention of his interactions with Putin or the reasons behind his belief that the Russian president would free Gershkovich. Trump's campaign also did not respond to inquiries about whether Trump or his advisors had communicated with Putin or his team.

But Steven Cheung, Trump's campaign spokesperson, said Trump would free him.  "There is only one person who can negotiate the safe return of Mr. Gershkovich back to his family - President Trump." However, when questioned about the post, Dmitry Peskov, a spokesperson for the Kremlin, stated that Putin "naturally has not had contacts with Donald Trump."

Biden's team mocked Trump's assertion by pointing to his repeated accusations that the media is an "enemy of the people," per Axios. The Biden team said that freeing Gershkovich was still a top goal and charged Trump with using Americans who were wrongly imprisoned for political purposes. "Donald Trump doesn't give a damn about the innocent Americans unjustly imprisoned by Vladimir Putin," TJ Ducklo, Biden's campaign advisor, slammed Trump in an email. "Trump has called journalists 'enemies of the people' and pledged to imprison reporters whose coverage he doesn't like – not all that dissimilar to what's happening right now to Evan Gershkovich in Russia."

In February, Putin stated that the reporter may be released in exchange for Vadim Krasikov, a Russian who is being held for life in Germany for the death of a man. Peskov also restated earlier remarks from the Kremlin that any negotiations with Washington over a prisoner swap must take place "in complete silence and absolutely discreetly. This is the only way they can be effective."