(DCWatchdog.com) – 2024 GOP presidential nomination frontrunner Donald Trump attacked “dumb as a rock” Joe Biden over a seemingly bizarre prisoner deal with Iran involving unfreezing $6 billion in Iranian cash.
Under the deal the Biden administration announced on the 22nd anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, the Islamic Republic of Iran received five Iranian prisoners from the US and the release of $6 billion in frozen money by US ally South Korea.
In exchange, the Iranians have only released five US citizens that it holds on what are described as dubious espionage charges.
“This absolutely ridiculous 6 Billion Dollar Hostage Deal with Iran has set a terrible PRECEDENT for the future,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
“The 3 years ago highly respected USA has become a laughingstock all over the WORLD. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN. VOTE TRUMP!!!” the former president added.
His comments on Monday came just as the five US citizens were released and arrived in Qatar’s capital, Doha.
Trump further told Americans to “buckle up” as “some terrible things [will] start to happen” on Biden’s watch.
He made it clear he supported the return of the five hostages from Iran but insisted the nation should not have paid a $6 billion ransom.
“I brought 58 HOSTAGES home from many different countries, including North Korea, and I never paid anything,” the 45th president of the United States wrote in a subsequent post.
“They all understood they MUST LET THESE PEOPLE COME HOME! Toward the end, it got so that countries didn’t even start the conversation asking for money, because they knew they would not get it,” he elaborated.
Trump slammed the president for generating a sort of “hostage inflation,” which would allow rogue states and other bad actors to demand more and more billions of dollars as ransom money from the United States in future prisoner swaps and hostage releases.
“Once you pay, you always pay, & MANY MORE HOSTAGES WILL BE TAKEN. Our grossly incompetent ‘leader,’ Crooked Joe Biden, gave 6 BILLION DOLLARS for 5 people. Iran gave ZERO for 5. He’s Dumb as a ROCK!” the former president added.
