WFAN radio host Boomer Esiason blasted the U.S. government for trading a Russian arms dealer for WNBA superstar Brittney Griner for release from a Russian prison.
Griner was arrested in February on drug smuggling charges after she brought less than one gram of CBD oil into Russia. The White House announced a 1-for-1 prisoner swap Thursday morning that released Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout from U.S. custody. Bout is known as the “merchant of death.”
On Thursday morning, Esiason was on his radio show, Boomer & Gio, when the White House announced Griner’s release from Russian custody. Esiason was happy to see Griner released from prison but was annoyed that the U.S. government gave up a dangerous man for the deal.
Co-host Gregg Gionnatti read tweets from Dallas Cowboys linebacker Micah Parsons criticizing President Joe Biden for leaving Marine Paul Whelan behind.
Parsons tweeted, “Wait nah!! We left a marine?!! Hell nah.”
Esiason felt the same way Parsons did because Whelan is still stuck in a Russian prison.
“I’m telling you, more people feel that way than don’t,” Esiason said. “I can tell you that right now. I know that we’re all happy that Brittney’s home like we said earlier on. But when you think about the magnitude of what we traded to get back a WNBA professional athlete, and left a Marine sitting there, whose family
The former NFL MVP felt the Russian government used Griner as a trade piece to get Bout out of prison.
“I kinda feel like the Russians basically were using her to get this guy out,” Esiason added. “It’s not an even swap; it’s not. We all know what happened to Brittney should have never happened.”
Esiason called the trade unfair because of how dangerous Bout was, and said he believed the Russian government fooled Biden.
“We look so pathetic,” Esiason continued. “And listening to our President talk about this is such a pathetic feeling. I want to be happy, but I can’t be.”
After the show’s update anchor Chris Lopresti played Biden’s comments from The White House about Griner’s release, Esiason was still annoyed that the U.S. traded Bout.
“You just gave up the merchant of death, for Christ sakes,” an annoyed Gionnatti added after he heard Biden’s remarks. “You couldn’t get back two people?”
“You got a guy who had a 25-year sentence, accused by the UN of getting involved in civil wars in Africa and killing millions of people, and you traded him for a WNBA superstar? Okay,” Esiason said.
“It does not feel right
Watch above via CBS Sports Network.