Brooks: Griner Swap Shows We’ll Free Bad People, But We Have to Bring Americans Home

On Friday’s “PBS NewsHour,” New York Times columnist David Brooks stated that he believes the prisoner swap for Brittney Griner was the right thing to do, but it does show the U.S. will free bad people to get American citizens home, but he doesn’t think Putin’s behavior will change.

Brooks said, “I don’t think anybody feels great about it. I mean, her crime was, what, [cannabis oil in a vape]? And his crime was arms dealing to people that kill — to people who kill Americans and others. So, it’s not an equal case. But I think there’s a fundamental rule that, if somebody has an American passport, you bring them home. And you don’t like it, because dealing with Vladimir Putin is never a pleasure. Somebody said, he punches you in the nose and then asks to negotiate. But I think the Biden administration did the right thing, which is to get an American citizen home. And I wish they’d gotten Paul Whelan home. My paper has a news story on how complicated that arrangement was. The Russians wanted somebody who — an assassin who was in German hands. And the Americans tried to get the Germans to give that person back so we could get both our people. And the Germans said, no, he’s an assassin. We’re not going to give back an assassin. And so, there [were] long, complicated negotiations. I think the Justice Department didn’t want to do it. The White House wanted to do it. So this is all super complicated. But, still, to have an American home, that is better than nothing.”

Host Judy Woodruff asked, “But does it send a signal that the U.S. will accept the worst kind of trade to get its citizens?”

Brooks responded, “Yeah, I mean, the thing you worry about in these cases — and it happens all the time in the Middle East with — when terrorists take hostages — is, does it reward kidnapping, basically? Does it reward hostage-taking? And I do think there’s some moral hazard there probably. But my argument against that would be Vladimir Putin is not waffling on whether to be a bad guy. He’s going to do what he’s going to do.”

Follow Ian Hanchett on Twitter @IanHanchett