Trump says ‘we gave nothing in exchange’ for Stephen Hubbard, then explains the sanctions

Stephen Hubbard is coming home, and Trump would like the receipt to read zero.

The good news first, played straight: Hubbard, a 74-year-old retired teacher, was held by Russia for more than four years on mercenary charges, and he’s out. Then the president took a question about it at Wednesday’s cybercrime roundtable: “We gave nothing in exchange, which is very rare. We never give anything in exchange.” The last administration, he added, “gave massive amounts of money and other things. You can’t do that.”

About three and a half minutes later by our math, still on Hubbard, he explained why nothing was so cheap. “I was in the midst of getting Stephen out of Russia, and if we did what these foolish people wanted me to do, he wouldn’t be coming out right now. He’d be in there for another 20 years.” He didn’t name in the room what the foolish people wanted. He’d already said it on Truth Social that morning: “If sanctions would have been placed, certainly those negotiations would have come to a complete and total halt.” The sanctions in question are the Russia sanctions he waived last week. The Hill reports the waiver came with a deal to buy Russian diesel.

So, for the record: nothing was given in exchange, except for not imposing the sanctions, which by his own account was the only reason the exchange worked. Very rare indeed.