Video News Clips: In Their Own Words

‘We Never Paid Ransom’: Trump Blasts Biden Over Iran Hostage Swap

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Former President Donald Trump blasted President Joe Biden over a reported hostage swap that includes releasing $6 billion to Iran.

The Biden administration reached an agreement for five Americans being held by the Iranian government in exchange for $6 billion in oil revenue currently frozen in South Korea, the New York Times reported. The money will be transferred to Qatar, which will release the funds for humanitarian aid.

“Biden is giving $6 billion to the world’s leading state sponsor of terrorism. Just as when Obama sent the Iranian regime pallets of cash for hostages in the dark of night,” Trump said in a video released by his campaign. “Remember, plane loads of cash. Biden’s ransom payment will be immediately used to stoke violence, bloodshed, and mayhem throughout the Middle East, and all around the world costing countless innocent lives.”

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“It’s also guaranteed that the fanatical Iranian regime will use this money to advance their nuclear weapons program putting Israel, the United States, and the entire world in very grave peril,” Trump continued. “They are reportedly just weeks away from a nuclear bomb, something which would have never happened under the Trump administration.”

Biden has sought to re-enter the nuclear deal that was terminated by then-President Donald Trump in May 2018. Israel has vehemently opposed efforts to revive the accord.

“Tragically, Biden’s ransom payments also make it dramatically more likely that even more Americans will be held captive in the future because Biden has shown that he will pay gargantuan sums of money, meaning the kidnappers turn a massive profit, they’re making money hand over fist,” Trump said. “In other words, Biden has put a bounty on the head of every American citizen abroad.”

“Under my leadership, we brought home more than 50 hostages from all over the world and we never paid ransom money to do it,” Trump continued. “Not at all. We did it with diplomacy and we did it through strength and we will do it again when we are re-elected as President of the United States.”