Washington Publish affiliate editor Jonathan Capehart had nothing however effusive reward for President Joe Biden on Friday’s PBS Information Hour as he marveled on the prisoner swap with Russia being, “not unhealthy for an 82-year-old man everybody mentioned had cognitive decline and had been questioning his psychological acuity.”
Host Geoff Bennett set the desk, “Properly, as we finish our dialog, I need to discuss the truth that Wall Avenue Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich and former U.S. Marine Paul Whelan had been amongst these two dozen detainees launched as a part of the largest prisoner trade between Russia and the West because the Chilly Conflict. Lasting takeaways. President Biden mentioned it was a feat of diplomacy.”
Capehart oozed, “Yeah, not unhealthy for an 82-year-old man everybody mentioned had cognitive decline and had been questioning his psychological acuity. While you learn what… occurred within the Wall Avenue Journal, that man was throughout it.”
He added, “This was an enormous diplomatic feat, however this was additionally an enormous victory for america and for the American individuals. To convey these People house is one thing that must be universally celebrated.”
Bennett additionally sought to get in on the reward, “And the element that he was on the cellphone together with his Slovenian counterpart mainly coordinating this deal simply an hour earlier than he introduced that he would not search reelection, I imply, how does that strike you?”
Capehart wasn’t accomplished gushing, “Properly, that instance is one thing that, you understand, when, I’ve interviewed the president twice, and in each interviews, I got here away with one actually distinct impression. He loves that job. And the truth that he is bought all of these things occurring, however he’s on the cellphone attempting to make a deal, that is why he needs to be president. That is why he loves the job. It is about getting one thing accomplished.”
Johnson then turned to David Brooks fill-in, Washington Free Beacon editor-in-chief, Eliana Johnson. Johnson was extra subdued, “It is fantastic that they are residence. Nonetheless, we have to cease doing offers the place we commerce terrorists and assassins for reporters and dissidents.”
She added, “And what dictator would not take extra hostages to make that deal? And so as to try this, we have to impose critical penalties on the hostage-taking nations. And that’s not one thing I’ve seen from the Biden administration. If we proceed to do offers like this, we’ll discover extra People behind bars, unjustly detained in despotic nations.”
Earlier, Johnson additionally confused Capehart by arguing that if it wasn’t for Sarah Palin, John McCain would’ve accomplished even worse in 2008. Maybe, she may exchange Brooks full time.
Here’s a transcript for the August 2 present:
PBS Information Hour
8/2/2024
7:35 PM ET
GEOFF BENNETT: Properly, as we finish our dialog, I need to discuss the truth that Wall Avenue Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich and former U.S. Marine Paul Whelan had been amongst these two dozen detainees launched as a part of the largest prisoner trade between Russia and the West because the Chilly Conflict. Lasting takeaways. President Biden mentioned it was a feat of diplomacy.
JONATHAN CAPEHART: Yeah, not unhealthy for an 82-year-old man everybody mentioned had cognitive decline and had been questioning his psychological acuity. While you learn what was that — the ticktock of what occurred within the Wall Avenue Journal, that man was throughout it.
This was an enormous diplomatic feat, however this was additionally an enormous victory for america and for the American individuals. To convey these People house is one thing that must be universally celebrated.
BENNETT: And the element that he was on the cellphone together with his Slovenian counterpart mainly coordinating this deal simply an hour earlier than he introduced that he would not search reelection, I imply, how does that strike you?
CAPEHART: Properly, that instance is one thing that, you understand, when, I’ve interviewed the president twice, and in each interviews, I got here away with one actually distinct impression. He loves that job. And the truth that he is bought all of these things occurring, however he’s on the cellphone attempting to make a deal, that is why he needs to be president. That is why he loves the job. It is about getting one thing accomplished.
And the truth that he is bought all of these things occurring, however he’s on the cellphone attempting to make a deal, that is why he needs to be president. That is why he loves the job. It is about getting one thing accomplished.
BENNETT: Eliana?
ELIANA JOHNSON: It is fantastic that they are residence. Nonetheless, we have to cease doing offers the place we commerce terrorists and assassins for reporters and dissidents.
And what dictator would not take extra hostages to make that deal? And so as to try this, we have to impose critical penalties on the hostage-taking nations. And that’s not one thing I’ve seen from the Biden administration. If we proceed to do offers like this, we’ll discover extra People behind bars, unjustly detained in despotic nations.
