As Trump Touts Hostage Record, David Whelan Says Brother Shown 'Zero' Care

Former President Donald Trump has praised his own record amid criticism of the Brittney Griner inmate swap, while the brother of prisoner and former Marine Paul Whelan slammed the former president for caring "zero."

Trump touted his record of freeing overseas American hostages in a Truth Social post on Friday, while blasting President Joe Biden's administration for negotiating the release of "America hating" WNBA star Griner instead of Whelan. Griner was released on Thursday following a controversial prisoner swap for Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout, who has been nicknamed "the Merchant of Death."

Biden said during a Thursday morning press briefing that releasing Whelan in the swap instead of Griner was "not a choice," due to Russia "treating Paul's case differently" for "totally illegitimate reasons." Trump described the trade as an "unpatriotic embarrassment for the USA" in a Truth Social post around the same time, while claiming that Griner "openly hates" her country and asking why Whelan was not "included in this totally one-sided transaction."

Paul Whelan's brother, David, responded to Trump's remarks in a tweet saying that the former president cared "zero" for Paul while in office, when he and his family unsuccessfully urged the Trump administration to help secure Paul's release. David, who previously said that he "absolutely" supported the release of Griner, also said that Trump had mentioned his brother's name more times since Griner's release than during his entire presidency.

"Former President Trump appears to have mentioned my brother #PaulWhelan's wrongful detention more in the last 24 hours than he did in the 2 years of his presidency in which Paul was held hostage by #Russia (zero)," David Whelan tweeted. "I don't suggest he cares now any more than he did then (zero)."

Hours later, Trump praised his administration's record of negotiating the release of hostages in a Truth Social post, while continuing to lash out at Griner's release as a "one-sided disaster" for the U.S. and a "win" for Russia.

"The Trump Administration got 58 hostages released from various hostile countries without paying any money, or giving up anything," Trump wrote. "That is something, both in numbers and lack of remuneration, that has never been done before in any other administration."

"The America hating basketball player for the 'Merchant of Death,' especially when the former Marine is not even included, is a one-sided disaster, and a BIG WIN FOR RUSSIA," he continued. "If I made that deal the Dems would chant, RUSSIA, RUSSIA, RUSSIA!"

Trump is not the only prominent Republican to suggest that Biden should have negotiated the release of Whelan instead of Griner. Texas Governor Greg Abbott tweeted out a plea to release Whelan on Thursday afternoon, while completely ignoring the release of Griner, a Texas native.

Others have criticized Republican rhetoric and Trump's prisoner exchange record, in particular his administration negotiating for the release of 5,000 Taliban members in 2020.

Former Marine Trevor Reed, who was released in a prisoner exchange in April after being locked up in Russia for nine years, has also criticized Republicans for their rhetoric on releasing American hostages overseas.

In June, Reed sarcastically responded to a tweet by GOP Representative Jim Jordan of Ohio that claimed Trump "would have negotiated Brittney Griner's release by now."

"Yeah big thanks to President Trump for getting myself and Paul Whelan out of Russia," Reed tweeted. "Not."

Griner was arrested at a Moscow airport in February after Russian customs officials said they discovered vape canisters containing cannabis oil in her luggage. She was sentenced to nine years in prison in August. Whelan was arrested in Russia on espionage charges in late 2018 and sentenced to 16 years in prison in June 2020.

Some critics have suggested that those attacking the character of Griner while offering praise for Whelan are making an irrelevant comparison, as well as ignoring the manner in which Whelan left military service and the fact that the U.S. is only one of four countries that could reasonably be expected to negotiate for his release.

Whelan left the Marines in 2008 after receiving a "Bad Conduct Discharge" following court-martial convictions on charges that included dereliction of duty, attempted larceny, making a false official statement and wrongfully using another person's Social Security number. In addition to the U.S., Whelan holds citizenship in the U.K., Ireland and Canada.

Newsweek has reached out to the White House and Trump's office for comment.