Brittney Griner is a black lesbian who plays in the WNBA, where she has refused to stand for the national anthem for leftist reasons. With those credentials, she would never be left to rot in a Russian prison, despite smuggling illegal drugs into the country, no matter how much it cost us to spring her. The price was Viktor Bout, a.k.a. the Merchant of Death:

The one-for-one swap was a surprise given that U.S. officials had for months expressed their determination to bring home both Griner and Paul Whelan, a Michigan corporate security executive jailed in Russia since December 2018 on espionage charges that his family and the U.S. government has said are baseless.

Whelan is just a US Marine and a white guy to boot. So he stays in Russia, as would be the case with you or me or Marc Fogel:

The president made no mention of American Marc Fogel of Oklahoma, a teacher who is also detained in Russia on marijuana-related charges.

As for Bout, described by the Justice Department as one of the world’s most prolific arms dealers,

Bout, whose exploits inspired a Hollywood movie, was serving a 25-year sentence on charges that he conspired to sell tens of millions of dollars in weapons that U.S officials said were to be used against Americans.

The movie reference is to Lord of War, starring Nicholas Cage.

Former DEA Chief of Operations Michael Braun describes Bout as “one of the most dangerous men on the face of the earth”:

Relieving Griner of responsibility for breaking the law in another country will cost lives — very possibly American lives.

Putin could name his price for Griner. He wanted Bout. Despite going out of its way to antagonize Russia, the Biden Regime does not seem to wonder why Bout is seen as so valuable. The idiot Biden has been crowing victoriously.

Stand by for a blast of irony. Just before announcing the release of an infamous arms dealer, Biden demagogued against our right to bear arms at the 10th Annual National Vigil for All Victims of Gun Violence held at Saint Mark’s Episcopal Church in the District of Corruption:

On tips from Varla, Ed McAninch, and KirklesWorth. Hat tips: Right Scoop, Twitchy.