According2Sam #144 'The Trade'

When the Biden administration first made the offer for a prisoner swap with Russia it was a two for one offer. They offered the 'Merchant of Death', arms dealer Viktor Bout in a trade for WNBA player, Brittney Griner and marine veteran Paul Whelan. Russia refused the two for one offer and demanded a two for two offer to get both Griner and Whelan home. The second prisoner that Russia wanted was an assassin serving a life sentence in a German prison named, Vadim Krasikov. This was a ridiculous request and the Biden administration scoffed at it. This left a one for one trade on the table and Biden was made to choose between trading Bout for either Griner or Whelan. This is what NBC News reported initially, but then after Biden started receiving criticism because he chose Griner over Whelan NBC edited their report to say the choice was either Griner or no one; suggesting that Russia would not trade the Merchant of Death for Whelan. Has the Biden administration been honest about this trade deal, and why was Griner a priority for them? Join the conversation and get answers to these questions and more on According2Sam episode #144.