Trump Tells Putin to Keep Wall Street Journal Reporter Hostage Through Election

Evan Gershkovich, the Wall Street Journal reporter, has been held prisoner in Russia for more than a year. Donald Trump, characteristically, has never criticized Russia for arresting him.

Last month, Trump stated (in response to prodding by a Time interviewer) that he hopes Russia will release Gershkovich. Trump insisted it would not happen unless he is elected:  “And here’s a difference between me and Biden: I’ll get him released. He’ll be released. Putin is going to release him.”

In a post on his social-media account, Trump reiterated that Putin will only release Gershkovich after Trump wins the election:

Unlike most of Trump’s boasts, this one may be true, but not in a way that reflects well on him. Perhaps he’s right that Putin “will do that for me, but not for anyone else.” But that is because Putin rightly considers Trump an ally in whose success he is invested.

What’s worse is that, by openly signaling to Putin that he does not want Gershkovich to be freed before the election, he is destroying whatever chances may exist to secure his release before then. If Gershkovich goes free prior to the election, Trump would look foolish, and Trump understands perfectly well Putin does not want that to happen.