Credit: President Donald Trump / X
Marc Fogel, a 63-year-old Pennsylvania schoolteacher detained in Russia since 2021, has finally returned to American soil under President Donald Trump’s administration.
Marc Fogel has been released and returned to the United States following negotiations led by President Donald Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff.
“Today, President Donald Trump and his Special Envoy Steve Witkoff are able to announce that Mr. Witkoff is leaving Russian airspace with Marc Fogel, an American who was detained by Russia,” said Trump’s National Security Advisor Mike Waltz.
The specifics of the exchange that led to Fogel’s release have not been disclosed. However, National Security Adviser Mike Waltz described the negotiation as a show of good faith from the Russians.
“President Trump, Steve Witkoff and the President’s advisors negotiated an exchange that serves as a show of good faith from the Russians and a sign we are moving in the right direction to end the brutal and terrible war in Ukraine.
“Since President Trump’s swearing- in, he has successfully secured the release of Americans detained around the world, and President Trump will continue until all Americans being held are returned to the United States. By tonight, Marc Fogel will be on American soil and reunited with his family and loved ones thanks to President Trump’s leadership.”
Welcome home, Marc pic.twitter.com/PwbGmaf1Xd
— Mike Waltz (@MikeWaltz47) February 12, 2025
Fogel, who was arrested in Moscow on trumped-up charges of drug smuggling for carrying legally prescribed medical marijuana intended for chronic pain management., was subjected to a staggering 14-year sentence in a Russian labor camp.
Despite his family’s desperate pleas and the clear injustice of his detainment, the Biden administration sat idly.
However, within mere weeks of President Trump’s return to office, he not only secured Fogel’s release but also personally welcomed him back at the White House in a poignant display of true American leadership.
WATCH:
Trump just stood outside in the snow waiting for American citizen Marc Fogel — held in Russian captivity since 2021 — to arrive at the White House
What a scene pic.twitter.com/sIPAMBwxUT
— johnny maga (@_johnnymaga) February 12, 2025
“I feel like the luckiest man on Earth right now. I want you to know that I am not a hero in this at all. President Trump is a hero. These men that came from the diplomatic service are heroes. The senators and representatives who fought in my honor to get me home are the heroes. I am in awe of what they all did,” said Fogel.
“Knowing I had the support of my fellow Pennsylvanians, my family, my friends—it kept me going.It was so overwhelming that it brought me to my knees, and it brought me to tears. But it was my energy—it was my being—that kept me going that whole time.
“I will forever be indebted to President Trump, to Steve over there—what a dynamic man [Steve] is, that’s true. When I met him, the energy, the can-do attitude just exuded from his body.
“When he smiled at me and introduced himself, and I got the feel for what had happened—it’s not just me, it’s everybody. Secretary Rubio, who met my son a while back. I’m a middle-class school teacher who’s now in a dream world.
WATCH:
President Trump welcomes prisoner released by Russia, Marc Fogel to the White House.
Fogel: “President Putin was very generous and statesmanlike in granting me a pardon.”
Q: “What were the terms of this deal?”
Trump: “Very fair. Very reasonable, not like deals we’ve seen…” pic.twitter.com/5olI3D9Xsi
— CSPAN (@cspan) February 12, 2025
Fogel’s family expressed immense relief and gratitude, stating, “This has been the darkest and most painful period of our lives, but today, we begin to heal.”
President Trump immediately released a statement on X stating, “When I saw [Marc Fogel’s] mother at a rally, she said, ‘If you win, will you get my son out?’ I promised her—she’s 95 years old—and I said, ‘We’ll get him out,’ and we got him out pretty quickly.”
PROMISES MADE, PROMISES KEPT.
“When I saw [Marc Fogel’s] mother at a rally, she said, ‘If you win, will you get my son out?’ I promised her—she’s 95 years old—and I said, ‘We’ll get him out,’ and we got him out pretty quickly.” –President Donald J. Trump pic.twitter.com/jQ681LMxgD
— President Donald J. Trump (@POTUS) February 12, 2025
The post Marc Fogel Returns to the U.S. After Being Released from Russia, Thanks President Trump Following Years of Neglect by the Biden Regime appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.