Morning Jolt: The Part of the Prisoner Swap That Everyone Prefers to Ignore

WITH JIM GERAGHTY

August 02 2024

The Part of the Prisoner Swap That Everyone Prefers to Ignore

On the menu today: The downside of the large-scale prisoner swap among the U.S., Russia, and certain European allies, and recalling the circumstances of the 2016 campaign that enabled Trump's victory and are unlikely to be replicated in the 2024 cycle. This is the last Jim-written Morning Jolt until August 12.

Terms of the Trade

We can and should rejoice at news of the release of wrongly convicted Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, Washington Post contributor and Putin critic Vladimir Kara-Murza, and former Marine Paul Whelan, as well as 13 other unjustly imprisoned foreigners used as pawns by the vile regime of Vladimir Putin.

But there's a catch. Once again, the United States has paid the Dane-geld and rewarded hostage-taking.

Eight arrested or convicted criminals are departing the U.S., Germany, Norway, and Slovenia and returning to Russia.

Most notable is Vadim Krasikov, a Russian assassin who straight-up murdered a Russian dissident in broad daylight in a public park in Berlin, with children watching ...

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