Trump Called President Joe Biden 'Dumb as a Rock' Over the $6 Billion Prisoner Swap

On Monday, when Iran released five American captives in return for mercy for five Iranians and the unfreezing of billions of dollars in oil assets, Donald Trump lashed out at President Joe Biden. The former head of state boasted about his own presidency-era hostage negotiations and made comparisons to Biden's most recent settlement. As part of a larger settlement, as reported by the Daily Mail, the United States unfroze $6 billion in Iranian cash, which included the release of five Americans who had been imprisoned for 'unsubstantiated spying charges.'

The release of the Americans ends what must have been a nightmare for those locked up for many years. Emad Shargi, Morad Tahbaz, and Siamak Namazi, three of the five Americans released, were imprisoned for more than five years prior to the agreement. Since 2015, Namazi has been held in detention. There is a lack of transparency over the identity of the other two Americans. In a statement released by The White House, President Joe Biden expressed relief that the five Americans had been freed 'after enduring years of agony, uncertainty, and suffering' while also stating, "Today, five innocent Americans who were imprisoned in Iran are finally coming home."

On his Truth Social platform, former president Donald Trump expressed his displeasure with the administration's decision. He jotted down, "I brought 58 HOSTAGES home from many different countries, including North Korea, and I never paid anything. 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. 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 Biden administration claimed that the $6 billion arrangement is not a ransom and that none of it comes from the U.S. government. There are 'guardrails' on how Iran may use the money, according to the administration. Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX), who serves on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, was among those who retaliated against the administration for what they saw as excessive secrecy in regard to the transaction. He wrote in a statement, "President Biden has established a secret nuclear deal with the Iranian regime that is being kept from Congress and the American people. Today’s news confirms there has already been a side deal including a $6 billion ransom and the release of Iranian operatives."

On the other hand, NBC reported that the Iranian government's President Ebrahim Raisi will determine how to spend the $6 billion in frozen cash that will be released as part of the prisoner swap deal with the United States. A top Biden administration official responded to Raisi's comments by saying the newly available funds will first be sent to Qatar. The Treasury Department would then carefully monitor all dealings with the fund to guarantee its exclusive use for humanitarian initiatives. The official claimed, "It’s going to be held in a bank in Qatar and each transaction will be monitored by U.S. Treasury — transaction by transaction. It’s for humanitarian aid only."