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By Andrew Stanton
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Former President Donald Trump's Truth Social post about Evan Gershkovich, the Wall Street Journal journalist who is being held in Russian jail, sparked a wave of backlash on Thursday.
Gershkovich was arrested in Russia in March 2023 and remains in jail after the Federal Security Service launched a felony espionage case against him. He could be sentenced to up to 20 years in prison if convicted. U.S. officials and journalists have called for his release and no trial date has been set, according to Reuters.
Trump, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, posted about Gershkovich on his social media platform at about 1:30 a.m. Thursday, writing that he would be released "almost immediately after the Election" if he wins in November.
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"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. Vladimir Putin, President of Russia, will do that for me, but not for anyone else, and WE WILL BE PAYING NOTHING!" the post reads.
The post sparked outrage on X, formerly Twitter. Newsweek reached out to the Trump campaign for comment via email.
"This is disgusting," former federal prosecutor Joyce Vance wrote. "Beyond that, 'Putin will do this for me.' No. IF Trump is telling any truth here, Putin is acting in his own interests. Another Trump presidency helps Putin achieve his goals & harms America."
Attorney Aaron Parnas posted: "'Vladimir Putin...will do that for me but not for anyone else.' If that doesn't send chills down your spine, it should."
"Trump--in his infinite stupidity--has, by some measure, probably decreased the chance Putin will release Evan Gershkovich before the election now. What a fool," wrote Anthony Michael Kreis, an attorney and professor at Georgia State University College of Law.
Others, however, defended Trump.
"Literally no one cares about the manufactured legal claims against Trump at this point - those making the accusations have already lost all good faith and credibility. That's why it's not working," Craig Chamberlin wrote.
Dmitry Peskov, spokesperson for Russian President Vladimir Putin, said that "Putin has no contacts with Donald Trump" in response to the post, according to Russian state media Tass.
Trump told Time magazine in April he believes Gershkovich should be released.
"The reporter should be released and he will be released," he said in an interview. "I don't know if he's going to be released under Biden. I would get him released."
President Joe Biden, the presumptive Democratic nominee, has called for Gershkovich's release, writing that his administration "will continue working every day to secure his release" in a statement on March 29, one year after his detention.
"Journalism is not a crime, and Evan went to Russia to do his job as a reporter—risking his safety to shine the light of truth on Russia's brutal aggression against Ukraine," Biden said.
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