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Former President Donald Trump said in a new interview he would get Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich out of Russia if he returns to the White House.
“The reporter should be released, and he will be released,” Trump said during an interview with TIME published on Tuesday. “I don’t know if he’s going to be released under [President] Biden. I would get him released.”
The interview covered a wide range of Trump’s second-term ambitions, which included his plans for dealing with Russian President Vladimir Putin. When pressed by TIME on why he hasn’t called for Gershkovich’s release on dubious spying charges, Trump replied, “I guess because I have so many other things I’m working on.”
Former President Trump said he would get WSJ reporter Evan Gershkovich home from Russia if elected to a second term. (1. Pool 2. NATALIA KOLESNIKOVA / Contributor)
However, Trump added he “should be freed” but wasn’t sure if that would happen under the Biden administration.
President Biden has called repeatedly for Gershkovich’s release and his administration has said it is working to bring both him and imprisoned American Paul Whelan home from Russia. He mentioned Gershkovich at his Saturday address at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner, saying Putin should free him “immediately.”
The White House told Fox News Digital that Biden will continue to work to bring home Gershkovich and Whelan.
“President Biden has brought over 60 Americans home, many of whom were wrongfully detained or taken hostage before he was sworn in,” spokesman Andrew Bates said. “President Biden has worked ceaselessly for Evan’s freedom since he was unjustifiably imprisoned by Putin, as well as for the freedom of fellow American Paul Whelan, who has now spent 5 years in a Russia prison. Like the President said on Saturday when he repeated his call for Evan’s immediate release, journalism is not a crime and reporters are not enemies of the people, but, instead, critical to democracy. President Biden welcomes this new support for bringing Evan back from Russia, and he will continue to demand both Evan and Paul’s release.”
The 32-year-old Wall Street Journal reporter has been detained in Russia since March 2023 on espionage allegations that the U.S. government and his employer have called absurd. He recently lost another appeal to end his pretrial detention and will remain behind bars until at least June.
Western journalists caught a glimpse of Gershkovich last week talking to his attorneys from inside a glass box during his latest court proceeding. Gershkovich seemed in good spirits, smiling and giving a “thumbs-up” when asked how he was doing. He also made a heart shape with his hands to the assembled media.
Gershkovich’s year in Russian prison has been brutally difficult on his family and friends, who have told they agonize over his predicament.
US journalist Evan Gershkovich, arrested on espionage charges, shapes a heart with his hands inside a defendants’ cage after a hearing in Moscow to consider an appeal on his extended pre-trial detention, on April 23, 2024. (Photo by Natalia KOLESNIKOVA / AFP)
“That’s 365 days that I’ve spent doing my job, being with friends, being with family, traveling, seeing the world, and 365 days that Evan has spent waking up every morning to the same set of gray walls, to the same routine, to the same schedule, to the same lack of basically anything vibrant or meaningful in his life, and that’s horrifying and devastating,” close friend and Financial Times reporter Polina Ivanova said last month as he marked one year in detention.
The Wall Street Journal put out a special front page honoring the reporter on March 29 to mark the anniversary. The special front page featured a large blank space where a story about Gershkovich should be. In big bold letters above the space, the outlet declared, “HIS STORY SHOULD BE HERE.” A picture of the imprisoned journalist sat to the left of the headline.
Fox News Digital’s Brian Flood and David Rutz contributed to this report.
This article was updated with a response from the White House.
Gabriel Hays is an associate editor for Fox News Digital.
