Them Lyin' Eyes

Have you noticed that the Republicans live in their little own fantasy world?
 

Did you know that it was really Trump who got the prisoner swap, in their twisted world, the Russians agreed to the swap because they feared Trump when he got elected “The Art of a Deal” man would drive a harder bargain, so in fear they made a deal with President Biden.

 

You can't hide your lyin' eyes
And your smile is a thin disguise
I thought by now you'd realize
There ain't no way to hide your lyin' eyes
Lyin' Eyes Songwriters: Glenn Lewis Frey / Donald Hugh Henley

JD Vance desperately tries to find a way to credit Trump for Biden’s prisoner swap
Ohio senator claims historic Russia-West prison swap only occurred ‘because bad guys all over the world recognize Donald Trump’s about to be back in office’
Independent
By James Liddell
August 2, 2024

JD Vance is desperately trying to give his new running mate credit for the high-profile prison swap carried out by the Biden administration – wildly claiming the historic moment is a “testament to [Donald] Trump’s strength”.

On Thursday, Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, former US Marine Paul Whelan and Russian-American journalist Alsu Kurmasheva were among 16 prisoners released from Russian prisons in the largest prisoner swap with the West since the end of the Cold War.

[…]

But Vance, who became Trump’s running mate just days following the assassination attempt last month, appears to be doing all he can to hand the credit to the former president instead.

The Ohio senator wildly claimed that the hostages were released because the Kremlin is fearful of a second Trump administration.

Dream on, dream on, dream on
Dream until the dream come true
Dream on, dream on, dream on
Dream until your dream come true
Dream on, dream on, dream on
Dream on, dream on, dream on
Dream on, oh
Dream On Songwriter: Steven Tyler

Fact check: Trump, who approved multiple prisoner exchanges, falsely claims he gave up ‘nothing’ to get Americans back
CNN
By Daniel Dale
August 2, 2024

In May, former President Donald Trump declared that he was the only person who could obtain the release of Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich from a Russian prison. After President Joe Biden proved the claim wrong on Thursday by securing the release of Gershkovich and others in a multi-country prisoner exchange, Trump posted a series of skeptical questions on social media.

Among other things, Trump wrote: “Are we releasing murderers, killers, or thugs? Just curious because we never make good deals, at anything, but especially hostage swaps. Our ‘negotiators’ are always an embarrassment to us! I got back many hostages, and gave the opposing Country NOTHING – and never any cash. To do so is bad precedent for the future. That’s the way it should be, or this situation will get worse and worse.”

However...

Facts First: Trump’s claim that he gave opposing countries “NOTHING” to secure the freedom of American prisoners is false. Though Trump obtained or helped to obtain the release of some Americans held abroad without having to release anyone in return, he also presided over at least four exchanges in which he approved the release of prisoners from US detention in exchange for foreign governments releasing Americans.

Fact Check writes,

Criticizing the Biden administration’s recent prisoner swap of Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout for WNBA star Brittney Griner as “a one-sided disaster,” former President Donald Trump wrongly boasted that his administration “got 58 hostages released from various hostile countries without paying any money, or giving up anything.”

In fact, several of the deals resulting in the release of Americans held hostage or being wrongfully detained abroad came as a result of prisoner swaps during Trump’s time in office.

• In November 2019, the Trump administration secured the release of American Kevin King and Australian Timothy Weeks, who were being held by the Taliban, in exchange for the release of three senior Taliban leaders being held in jails in Afghanistan.
• In December 2019, the U.S. did a prisoner exchange with Iran, freeing Xiyue Wang, a graduate student at Princeton University who was serving a 10-year sentence in Iran on espionage charges. To secure Wang’s release, the U.S. freed Masoud Soleimani, an Iranian scientist convicted of export violations.
• In July 2020, the Trump administration secured the release of Michael White, a Marine veteran jailed in Iran on charges of insulting the country’s supreme leader, in exchange for the release of a dermatologist convicted on export violations.
• In October 2020, a deputy assistant to Trump helped broker a deal to free two Americans being held hostage by Iranian-backed militants in Yemen in exchange for the release of about 250 Houthi rebels being held in Oman.

You can't hide your lyin' eyes
And your smile is a thin disguise
I thought by now you'd realize
There ain't no way to hide your lyin' eyes

Trump Boasted He Could Get Evan Gershkovich Released from Russia if Re-elected
The former president had boasted repeatedly that he could get the reporter freed right away on the basis of his relationship with President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia.
The New York Times
By Neil MacFarquhar
August 1, 2024

Former President Donald J. Trump turned the imprisonment of Evan Gershkovich into a campaign issue about three months ago, after facing criticism in March — when The Wall Street Journal correspondent marked one year in prison — for not demanding his release.

Mr. Trump has boasted repeatedly that he could get Mr. Gershkovich, 32, freed right away, saying that his relationship with President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia would ensure the release as soon as he won the U.S. presidential election in November. He also claimed, without evidence, that Russia was probably demanding billions of dollars in ransom.

Mr. Trump’s most high-profile statements on the issue came during the debate with President Biden in June. “I will have him out very quickly, as soon as I take office, before I take office,” Mr. Trump said, without mentioning Mr. Gershkovich by name. “As soon as I win the election, I will have that reporter out.”

[…]

“Vladimir Putin, President of Russia, will do that for me, but not for anyone else, and WE WILL BE PAYING NOTHING!” one post said.

Before such statements, The Wall Street Journal had published an editorial questioning why Mr. Trump had remained silent on the issue, while the Biden campaign accused him of avoiding any criticism of Mr. Putin.
President Biden said this zinger in response to Trump’s boast…
Mr. Biden responded, “Why didn’t he do it when he was president?”

There ain't no way to hide your lyin' eyes
Honey, you can't hide your lyin' eyes

I’m not voting for the guy who’s has lyin’ eyes, I’m voting for the gal who tells the truth!