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American political commentator Candace Owens was recently slammed online for taking a dig at Brittney Griner's release from the Russian prison.
On December 8, the 32-year-old WNBA star, who was held in the country on drug charges, was released in a 1-for-1 prisoner swap for the notorious arms dealer Viktor Bout.
The same day, Owens took to her Twitter handle to criticize the US government's move to trade her for Bout.
"Trading a top Russian arms dealer for a pot-smoking female basketball player is peak western leftist philosophy. Incomprehensibly stupid from a political standpoint. But as long as it makes people FEEL warm and fuzzy, why not? #BritneyGriner."
The talk show host's tweet quickly garnered traction, with over 4,000 retweets and 29,000 likes as of this writing. Most netizens, however, were in disagreement with Owens, with one user commenting:
"No one asked you": Netizens chime in on Candace Owens' stance on Brittney Griner's release
After Candace Owens' tweet about Brittney Griner's release went viral, several internet users called her out for criticizing the US government's move to bring the latter back home.
In a post shared by The Shade Room on Instagram, users dissed Owens, stating that no one asked for her opinion on the matter. Many others just mocked the situation by commenting that Brittney Griner should have been swapped for the political commentator and her infamous friend, Kanye West.
President Joe Biden spoke with Brittney Griner
According to CBS News, US President Joe Biden revealed Brittney's well-being from the White House while announcing the prisoner exchange.
"She's safe. She's on a plane. She's on her way home. After months of being unjustly detained in Russia, held under intolerable circumstances, Brittney will soon be back in the arms of her loved ones and she should have been there all along. This is a day we've worked toward for a long time. We never stopped pushing for her release."
The publication reports that the swap took place in the United Arab Emirates, weeks after the negotiations first began in Moscow. After President Biden gave his seal of approval just last week, the deal was carried out, according to sources.
Joe Biden stated that he talked to Brittney Griner from his Oval Office, in the company of Vice President Kamala Harris, State Secretary Antony Blinken and the WNBA player's wife, Cherelle.
Griner underwent a medical evaluation as soon as she was released, which is a standard protocol for freed American prisoners.
Brittney Griner's prisoner swap involved high-level negotiations between the United States and Russia, where Joe Biden signed a deal to reduce Viktor Bout's 25-year jail sentence.
Griner was detained in Russia in February 2022 after the Russian authorities found vape cartridges containing hashish oil in the player's luggage at Sheremetyevo International Airport, which is illegal in the country.
