MEAWW.COM / NEWS / CELEBRITY NEWS

'We left a marine?': Micah Parsons slams Joe Biden over Brittney Griner swap, apologizes after backlash

Russia released Brittney Griner on Thursday in return for the notorious Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout

DALLAS, TEXAS: Dallas Cowboys’ star linebacker Micah Parsons blasted US president Joe Biden on Thursday, December 9 over the high-level prisoner exchange that freed WNBA star Brittney Griner from Russian captivity nearly 10 months after her detention at a Russian airport.

Russia released the two-time Olympic gold medallist on Thursday, December 8, in exchange for notorious Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout, according to American officials. However, the original negotiation proposal included two people: Griner and retired Marine Paul Whelan, who was sentenced to 16 years in a maximum-security Russian prison, after being convicted of spying in 2020. Ultimately, POTUS agreed to only have Griner come home, according to Sportkeeda.

READ MORE

So what about Paul Whelan? Biden slammed for ignoring Marine and prioritizing Brittney Griner release

Brittney Griner is coming home! US government trades 'Merchant of Death' Viktor Bout for WNBA player

The decision irked the star linebacker, who slammed the Biden administration. "Wait Nah!! We left a marine?!! Hell Nah," Parsons replied to a tweet that announced Griner was "on her way home." In another tweet, he added, "We still not voting for you!"

But Parson backpedaled on his stance and deleted the tweets after a ruthless backlash. Apologizing for the claims he made earlier, the 23-year-old, whose father is a military veteran, clarified that his statement was for Paul Whelan to return home, and not a shot against Griner. "My last tweet was no shot at Brittney Griner," Parsons wrote. "I'm super happy she's back home as she should be. I just have family who have served and it's crazy to me the President wouldn't bring him home too. I'm the furthest thing from a trump supporter but I'm not a fan of Biden either."

Parsons also admitted that he should have held off on his previous tweets. "Just spoke to some people that I respect and trust," he continued. "I should have been more educated on the topic and not tweeted out of emotion for my family and others who have served. For that, I apologize. Also if what I'm told about the attempts to bring Ret Marine Paul Whelan home are true then the best outcome was accomplished. I pray Mr. Whelan comes home but am extremely happy for Brittney and her family. I am not too prideful to admit when I've made a mistake."

However, Parsons was not the only one to criticize the Biden administration over the deal. According to The Blaze, former DEA agents involved in Bout's capture told CBS News the Bout-for-Griner exchange could damage the "deterrence and consequences of committing crimes against the United States" now that "killers and criminals" know they can negotiate their way out of long sentences. The reports also claimed that the one-for-one exchange came together over the last two weeks after five months of stalled diplomacy and various permutations of potential swap arrangements, including a previously unreported offer by the US in the summer to send two prisoners back to Russia in exchange for the two Americans.

This article contains remarks made on the Internet by individual people and organizations. MEAWW cannot confirm them independently and does not support claims or opinions being made online.