Press Briefing by Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre and National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan
James S. Brady Press Briefing Room
1:15 P.M. EDT
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Good afternoon, everyone.
Q Good afternoon.
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, it’s a historic and important day.
President Biden and his administration have secured a deal for Americans who were unjustly imprisoned in Russia.
I know for a lot of reporters in this room, especially the Wall Street Journal team, this is personal.
And I know for the families of Paul, Evan, Alsu, and Vladimir, it’s one of the best days of their lives.
As President Biden said in his statement, as we celebrate the return of these brave Americans, “We remember all those still wrongfully detained or held hostage around the world. And reaffirm our pledge to their families: We see you. We are with you. And we will never stop working to bring your loved ones home where they belong.”
And with that, I will turn it over to our national security advisor, Jake Sullivan.
MR. SULLIVAN: Thank you, Karine. And good afternoon, everyone.
Today, as you have seen and heard from the president and from Karine, we’ve completed one of the largest and certainly the most complex exchange in history. And Paul Whelan, Evan Gershkovich, Alsu Kurmasheva, and Vladimir Kara-Murza, three American citizens, and one American green-card holder are finally coming home.
I had the honor and pleasure of joining the president this morning in the Oval Office as he shared the wonderful news with the families. And then, together, they spoke with Paul, Evan, Alsu, and Vladimir, who were on the tarmac in Ankara with U.S. officials, where the exchange happened. To say that everyone in the room was overjoyed, even at a loss for words, is an understatement.
Since taking office, President Biden and Vice President Harris have made clear that they will not stop working until every American wrongfully detained or held hostage around the world is reunited with their family. As an administration, we’re proud to celebrate the return home of over 70 such Americans from places around the world like Afghanistan, Burma, Gaza, Haiti, Iran, Russia, Venezuela, Rwanda, and elsewhere.
Today’s exchange is a feat of diplomacy that honestly could only be achieved by a leader like Joe Biden. At his direction, the professionals in our national security, foreign policy, and intelligence community worked tirelessly and relentlessly to secure the release of 16 individuals who were detained in Russia — the 3 American citizens, 1 American green-card holder, 5 German citizens, and 7 Russian political prisoners — in exchange for 8 individuals held in a combination of the United States, Germany, Norway, Slovenia, and Poland.
The pr- — the president was himself personally engaged in the diplomacy that brought this about, including multiple conversations with Chancellor Scholz, with the other leaders of the countries who provided some of the Russians as part of the exchange; and most recently, as has now been reported, calling the Prime Minister of Slovenia early in the afternoon of Sunday, July 21st, to coordinate the final arrangements to make the final piece of this deal fall into place.
There is no more singular or concrete demonstration that the alliances that the president has reinvigorated around the world matter to Americans — to the individual safety of Americans and to the collective security of Americans. And we’re deeply grateful to our allies who supported us in these complex negotiations to achieve this outcome.
And while I’m standing at this podium, the president is reaching out to give personal thanks to the leaders of Germany, Poland, Slovenia, Norway, and Turkey.
And honestly, guys, I can just say this was vintage Joe Biden, rallying Amer- — rallying American allies to save American citizens and Russian freedom fighters and doing it with intricate statecraft, pulling his whole team together to drive this across the finish line.
His goal has always been to put first the families — the families who are enduring an unimaginable ordeal. From the president on down, we’ve stayed in regular and routine touch with them. I spent a lot of time with the families of Evan and Paul and Alsu. And most of the time, as you can imagine, those are tough conversations.
But not today. Today, excuse me — today was a very good day. And we’re going to build on it, drawing inspiration and continued courage from it for all those who are held hostage or wrongfully detained around the world.
And that includes Marc Fogel, who we are actively working to get his release from Russia as well. And there are others being held in Syria, Afghanistan, other countries around the world who we are working to get released.
And just on a personal note, I want to say that this is the culmination of a monumental level of effort and level of skill by my teammates across the national security enterprise: my colleagues here at the NSC, my colleagues at the Central Intelligence Agency, my colleagues at the State Department.
These are dedicated, talented professionals who are not in the headlines, who don’t get to stand at a podium like this one. And it was at the president’s direction that they built and pulled off the most intricate, expansive deal of its kind in memory. So, they know who they are. I salute them. And every American should be proud to have those kind of people standing up on their behalf and on behalf of American security.
While this has unfolded, we have been closely monitoring the events in the Middle East as well. Since October 7th, we have worked to deter and prevent escalation into a wider regional war. That risk has always been there. That risk is there now. And we are determined to engage in deterrence, defense, and de-escalation to try to ensure that we do not have a wider regional conflict or escalation that goes unchecked.
So, I’m happy to get more into that in response to your questions. And with that I’ll turn it over to you.
Yeah.
Q Thanks, Jake. Whose idea was it to try to go big and bring everyone home at once, instead of going for a simpler one-for-one type deal? And why?
MR. SULLIVAN: That’s a great question, which I don’t feel entirely comfortable answering, because this was an organic process involving a lot of people across our government.
But what I will say is this. The president sat us down on a regular basis over the course of the detentions of Paul, Evan, and Alsu and really pushed us to think about what configuration would actually work to make this happen. And it was through an iterative — iterative process of back and forth with various of the allies I mentioned, with engagements with our Russian counterparts where we were making proposals, getting responses, that this all came together.
And so, I would say that if you had not had Joe Biden sitting in the Oval Office, I don’t think this would have happened. But as I said, in my remarks, there were a lot of other people who played a central role in building out the pieces of this and then executing on that.
And the execution phase of this, to get this level of coordination together, to have those planes all land on the tarmac at the same time from multiple different countries, with so many different individuals coming from Russia and going back to Russia — really extraordinary.
And I think, you know, a “team effort” can be a cliché, but I think, in this case, it’s a warranted description of what happened.
Q And was Aleksey Navalny supposed to be a part of this deal before he died in prison?
MR. SULLIVAN: So, we had been working with our partners on a deal that would have included Aleksey Navalny, and, unfortunately, he died. In fact, on the very day that he died, I saw Evan’s parents, and I told them that the president was determined to get this done even in light of that tragic news and that we were going to work day and night to get to this day. And so, that work continued over the course of the past few months and culminated in today.
Yeah.
Q You mentioned it a little bit, but can you describe and give us a little bit more color on that Oval Office conversation just before the president came out? Did all four Americans get to speak? Did — did each of the family members get to speak to their loved ones? Did the president tear up? Did you tear up?
MR. SULLIVAN: I saved my tearing up for this podium (inaudible). (Laughter.) I — I would like to strike that from the record if we could. Is that — I don’t know if that’s permitted. Probably not.
So, the president invited the family members in at the moment that we received the word from the tarmac in Ankara that the exchange was complete. And he was able to give them the news directly that the exchange was in fact complete.
Then, Paul, Evan, and Alsu were in one place; Vladimir was actually in another place. So, he conducted two calls from the Oval Office. One with the three American citizens on the phone. And he welcomed their freedom; said, you know, that on behalf of the American people, he was so proud to have them out; and then very quickly turned the phone over to their family members. And each family got the opportunity to engage by phone with their loved one who was out.
He then conducted a second call with Vladimir. And Vladimir’s wife, one of their daughters, and their son were there to be able to speak with him. And the president and he also got to reminisce on the fact that they were both pallbearers together at John McCain’s wedding — wedding — John McCain’s funeral.
And so, it was a kind of extraordinary personal exchange in the Oval Office, and the family members were both overwhelmed, of course, by the events of the day and also standing there in the prese- — presence of the U.S. president at the Resolute Desk. So, it — it was quite a moment.
Q And can you talk about how the administration tries to make sure this doesn’t incentivize more arrests of innocent Americans — beyond what the president said, advising people not to go to abroad — not to go abroad in certain places — especially because you’re looking at this inherent imbalance between releasing — or between securing the release of innocent American exchange for wr- — rightfully convicted criminals, including a murderer?
MR. SULLIVAN: Look, it’s a fair question. It’s a question that we grapple with every time that we look at the hard decisions involved in one of these exchanges.
It is difficult to send back a convicted criminal to secure the release of an innocent American. And yet, sometimes the choice is between doing that and consigning that person, basically, to live out their days in prison in a hostile foreign country or in the hands of a — a hostile power.
So, from our perspective, we have assessed and analyzed that risk. And we have judged that the benefit of reuniting Americans, of bringing people home, and also of vindicating the idea that the American president and the American government are going to do what it takes to protect and secure the release of innocent Americans — that that benefit outweighs the risk. And that’s how we have proceeded.
I would point out in addition to that that in periods of time when the U.S. government didn’t tend to do prisoner exchanges, Americans were unjustly detained and held hostage overseas. In periods where we did, Americans were unjustly detained and held hostage overseas.
So, I think there are real questions. And — and Roger Carstens, the hostage negotiator at the State Department, has actually pointed out that in this analysis, it is not quite as clear cut that the evidence actually demonstrates the kind of result that your question speaks to — that, you know, a lot more people get taken because we do these exchanges.
But it’s something that we have to pay attention to. And it’s something that makes these decisions by the president not simple decisions — hard decisions. And yet, as he did today, he was prepared to make them.
Yeah.
Q Can you explain a bit more: When did it become clear that Krasikov was this linchpin to a deal like this? And was it during the negotiations over Brittney Griner?
MR. SULLIVAN: When you’re engaged in a negotiation and one side lays down a position, there’s not like a light bulb moment when you say, “Okay, that position is immovable.” That has to be tested and alternatives have to be suggested, and proposals get put on the table and rejected, and new proposals and rejected.
So, it is less of a “aha” moment — “Okay, now we know” — and it’s more something that you accumulate through the experience of the negotiation. And so, over the course of this negotiation, we did reach the conclusion that Krasikov was a key.
Q A- — you’ve discussed, obviously, the president’s involvement — direct involvement in all of this. Can you talk us through any involvement that the vice president had? Was she also speaking directly to other leaders and allies?
MR. SULLIVAN: So, as I said in my opening comments, both President Biden and Vice President Harris have made the return of unjustly detained Americans hostage — American hostages an absolute priority.
And in this particular case, Vice President Harris actually had an opportunity to engage with Chancellor Scholz earlier this year at an opportune and timely moment at the Munich Security Conference, where she talked about this issue with him.
That followed on a conversation that the president had just a short time before that, and it was in the run of high-level engagements and a back-and-forth that the president and the chancellor were having that Vice President Harris was actually able to sit face to face with Chancellor Scholz and talk through the elements of this.
And then, I’ve sat in the Oval Office more times than I can count over the course of the past years, providing briefings and updates on this and getting peppered with questions by both the president and the vice president; thinking through the strategy; iterating the approach, which she was a participant in very much — a core member of the team that helped make this happen.
Yeah.
Q Jake, two quick questions. One as it relates to the president’s interactions with Chancellor Scholz. It’s been detailed to us, but maybe from the podium you can help us understand.
Chancellor Scholz had to make a big sacrifice giving up Krasikov here, a Russian criminal. What specifically did the German chancellor say to President Biden about his willingness to do this?
MR. SULLIVAN: Well, I will leave that to Chancellor Scholz because I think for, you know, important and sensitive conversations, leaders should speak for themselves. But wh- —
Q The White House said he said, “For you,” and then he said, “I will do this.” Is that fair? And if so, can you at least detail that?
MR. SULLIVAN: I can confirm that he did say that. But I thought you were asking sort of to elaborate in greater detail, which I just — I’m afraid I don’t feel comfortable doing because he can — he can speak to his conversations with the president.
What I will say, and — and President Biden made this point when he spoke to the press just a short time ago: That relationship between the president and the chancellor — a relationship of respect, a relationship of — of genuine friendship — had the character of being able to work through this sensitive issue in a way that wasn’t antiseptic or professional. It was two guys actually trying to figure out a solution.
That was the natures of all of the conversations and, ultimately, the chancellor was able to say to the president, “Let’s do this.”
Q Just to be clear — my second question — today is clearly a day of celebration. But already there is some criticism, including from the Republican vice presidential nominee, J.D. Vance, who moments ago said, “I think” — what this demonstrates — “I think that really what this shows is that a lot of bad guys across the world are worried that Donald Trump is coming back into office.” Your response to those comments?
MR. SULLIVAN: I don’t follow.
Yeah.
Q Thank you, Jake. Can you talk about what, if any, engagements U.S. officials had with Vladimir Putin as part of this?
MR. SULLIVAN: No engagement directly with Vladimir Putin.
Q What about his deputies?
MR. SULLIVAN: There was extensive engagement with Russian officials over the course of this. I’m not going to get into the details because those channels are sensitive and need to be protected for exactly this reason, because having those sensitive channels enables us to produce results like today.
Q And then, last week, in the Oval Office, President Biden said that he remains committed to bringing Americans home during his final six months in office. How important was it for him to get this deal before leaving office?
MR. SULLIVAN: Honestly, I don’t think he was thinking about it like, “I got to get it before I’m — I leave office.” He was thinking about it from the families’ perspective, which is, “Every day is a lost day, so I want to do this as rapidly as humanly possible. I want to push the pace on it because the longer that these Americans are held abroad, the — the greater the risk and the greater the pain.”
So, for him, it was really important to do the deal, but less tied to his time in office and more tied to the power and responsibility he had and wanted to exercise to get this done as fast as he possibly could.
Yeah.
Q Jake, I just want to follow up on — on this interaction with the Russians. I mean, does this in any way lay any groundwork for discussions about the war in Ukraine with the Ukrainians? I mean, just to sort of say, “Look, we’ve cooperated on this.” Is there any path that this creates? Any sort of goodwill in terms of, you know, creating more discussion?
MR. SULLIVAN: We do not see a link between the hostage negotiation or the — the detained persons negotiations and any potential diplomacy over the war in Ukraine. We see those as operating on separate tracks.
One is really about the practical issue of producing this exchange. The other is a much more complex question where the Ukrainians will be in the lead, and the United States will consult closely with all of our allies to support them when they are prepared to step forward and engage in those — in that kind of diplomacy.
Yeah.
Q So, can — can I just follow up on — so, we can’t have you here and not ask you about what’s happening and unfolding in the Middle East and with Iran and with this — the — the killing of Haniyeh.
Can you please just give us your assessment of how high the temperature really is and how great the risks are now of an — an all-out war or a bigger war?
MR. SULLIVAN: Just taking a step back, we have been laser focused on trying to prevent that wider war since October 7th. There have been moments that have required intensive effort to keep a lid on things. The risk has always been there. And the risk remains today.
And we believe we do have to be engaging in intensive efforts now through deterrence, through de-escalation, through diplomacy to prevent a wider war. And we will continue to do that.
Yeah.
Q Yeah. Thanks, Jake. Back in May, former President Trump made the comment that Russia would release Evan Gershkovich for him after the upcoming election, quote, “but not for anyone else.” Did that comment complicate negotiations at all? And do you have a response to Trump’s comment now?
MR. SULLIVAN: Look, I’m just happy these guys are out and home. And I won’t wade into the comments of the former president.
Yeah.
Q What about Jimmy Wilgus? Are you working on him?
MR. SULLIVAN: (Prompting a reporter to ask his question.) Yeah.
Q Jake, you noted that the president spoke to the leader of Slovenia right around the time he was making his decision on his political feature. How much was he — the — the — thinking that he had to go through on his — on his future part of this process leading up to these negotiations? Was it something that weighed on me for — for days ahead of these calls?
MR. SULLIVAN: I — look, to be honest with you, the way in which this unfolded played out over the course of weeks, even months, to put all of the pieces in place.
So, the timing and the cadence of the different elements coming together was a feature of the diplomacy and the decision-making of each of the countries involved. It wasn’t about American politics, the American political calendar, the president’s thinking on other issues.
And it did happen to line up on that Sunday in that way, but not through a conscious decision to make it so, but rather because that’s when the pieces were falling into place. And that’s the moment when the president had to drop that final piece in. And it just so happened to come a couple of hours before he made his announcement.
Q And when do you think we will actually see them on American soil? Will the president greet them personally?
MR. SULLIVAN: I think you can expect to see Evan, Paul, and Alsu later tonight on American soil. And as the president mentioned in his remarks earlier, they’ll be landing at Andrews Air Force Base. The president and the vice president will be out there to greet them. Vladimir Kara-Murza is going to be traveling to Germany. And his family, who was here with the president this morning, will be traveling there to join him.
But as Vladimir and the president discussed today, we expect him back here in the United States soon for him to be able to see the president and — and other people in the U.S. government.
Yeah.
Q Thank you, Jake. Switching gears for a moment. I want to ask you about the plea deal that was reached with the 9/11 suspects by military — the military courts down in Guantanamo.
Republicans are condemning this as showing weakness and calling it a sweetheart deal because it avoids a trial and the death penalty. I was wondering if the administration has any response to that.
MR. SULLIVAN: As we said last night, the White House received word that the convening authority had entered these pretrial agreements that had been negotiated by military prosecutors with KSM and some of the other 9/11 defendants.
And we had no role in that process. The president had no role. The vice president had no role. I had no role. The White House had no role. And we were informed yesterday — the same day that they went out publicly that this pretrial agreement had been accepted by the convening authority.
What the president did upon learning of that was direct his team to consult as appropriate with officials and lawyers at the Department of Defense on this matter. Those consultations are ongoing, and I have nothing more to add at this time.
Q And then one — one more thing. On — on Iran- Israel-Hamas negotiations. Now that the lead Hamas negotiator is — is dead, who is there to negotiate with? And why — why, in your estimation, would Hamas continue towards negotiating a ceasefire deal when their lead negotiator was just killed by the people they’re negotiating with?
MR. SULLIVAN: It is too soon to tell what the impact of his death will have on the negotiations, and so I’m not going to speculate on that, especially in light of the broader dynamics and set of events unfolding in the region right now.
What I will say is this. The ceasefire and hostage deal is the pathway to ending this war. It is the pathway to getting all of the hostages home, including the American citizen hostages, who we’re relentlessly focused on getting home. And we remain determined to get it done.
Yeah.
Q Did the president have a call today with Prime Minister Netanyahu, or is he having one?
MR. SULLIVAN: I — I believe the Israeli government has put out that they’re having a call. We had not announced that yet, but in fact, the president is intending to speak with Prime Minister Netanyahu later today. They have not spoken yet.
Yeah.
Q And — and is the president going to express any displeasure about not having a heads up about the — the attack on the Hamas leader or these other big things that have happened in — in the last few days with Israel taking countermeasures?
MR. SULLIVAN: So, I’m not going to preview the president’s message before he has a chance to speak directly to the prime minister. And then if I had to predict, I probably will be tight-lipped about the readout afterwards.
Yeah.
Q Thanks, Jake. Just wondered if you could make clear for us, when was the actual moment when you really knew that this deal was — was going to be done and that it was sealed? Or was that not really until today and you actually saw them — the released people on the — on the tarmac in Ankara?
MR. SULLIVAN: We steadily gained confidence following the president’s call on the — on the 21st of July, but that confidence was always tempered by the reality that this was a fragile deal, a complex deal that could fall apart at any moment from multiple different directions, so we held our breath and crossed our fingers until just a couple hours ago.
Yeah.
Q Jake, I wanted to ask about arms control treaties. It seems like Russia has been backsliding when it comes to these deals. What is the update with that? Is there any progress with getting them to rejoin any of these treaties?
MR. SULLIVAN: No. The short answer is there is no progress. We have tried to engage. And I have publicly stated and my colleagues have also laid out our view that there is an arms control agenda that’s in the interests of the security of the United States, our allies, and, frankly, global stability.
And we have not seen reciprocity on the Russian side to engage in those discussions at this time. So, we — we’re obviously working very closely with NATO, with our other allies and partners to ensure that our security is going to be strong, resilient, and credible no matter what comes next.
But we do remain available to engage in arms control, as we did with the Soviet Union at the height of the Cold War.
Last question. Yeah.
Q Thank you, Jake. Can you just confirm that no money was exchanged, no sanctions were loosened to facilitate this deal?
MR. SULLIVAN: Yes, I can confirm that.
Q And can you also speak to why the president chose not to use his moment in front of the cameras to deliver a warning to Putin? He said, “I don’t need to speak to Putin.” But what he didn’t convey was a price that countries will pay if they abduct Americans for political purposes.
MR. SULLIVAN: We have made clear through every conceivable channel and the president has made clear publicly on repeated occasions over the last two years about the costs and consequences of aggression, standing against United States interests, and of taking actions that we believe are unlawful and unjust. We’re going to continue to do that as we go forward.
For the president today, this was a moment to thank our allies. It was a moment to celebrate the families. And most importantly, it was a moment to lift up the human achievement of getting both Americans — citizens and friendly countries and Russian political prisoners out.
But as the president said, he doesn’t need to talk to Putin for Putin to understand where the president stands.
Thank you.
(Cross-talk.)
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: All right. As — as I mentioned at the top, this is an incredibly important day, a monumentous [momentous] day, and also an emotional day for the families, obviously; for the incredible team that I get to work with every day — the national security team; and across the administration and for this president.
And so, it’s a good day. It’s a really, really good day. And we should be really proud of what this administration has been able to do.
Now these — you know, these — these folks who were unjustly held now to get — now get to go home to their families and see their families and restart their lives.
Go ahead.
Q A follow-up on the 9/11 plea deal, if I may. Does the president still plan to close Guantanamo Bay prison before he leaves office? And is there a realistic pathway to do that in the next six months?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: That’s still something that the president wants to do and get done.
As far as a timeline, I don’t have anything for you here. But obviously, this is something that he wanted to be done in — under his administration. Just don’t have anything else to — to read out or preview at this time.
But it is something that he’s determined to get done.
Q And does he have a message to some of the 9/11 families who wanted to see a full trial, who wanted to see this kind of come to a fuller process?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, look, this is basically what Jake said, this is something that we had no involvement in. He didn’t have any involvement in. And so, the pl- — the White House played no role in this process. And the president directed his — his team to consult as appropriate with officials and lawyers and Department of Defense, obviously.
And, you know, we have said this before, you know, we — we are — you know, our hearts go out to the families who lost the loved ones on that — on that day. And, you know, the president on 9/11 has honored them every year and the families who, again, who lost their loved one on that terrible day.
And we remain committed — this administration — remain committed to ensuring that the military commission process is fair and delivers justice to the victims, survivors, families, and those — and those accused of crimes.
And so, that is certainly the president’s continued commitment here.
Go ahead.
Q Donald Trump yesterday attacked, obviously, Kamala Harris’s identity, said he didn’t know she was Black. You reacted to that yesterday. But I’m wondering if the president is aware of those comments —
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: The president is —
Q — and what he thought of it?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: The president is aware. I think he — just like myself and what I stated here and what the — the vice president stated as well — you know, I’ll just reiterate what I said. It was repulsive, disrespectful, and insulting.
And we believe — and, you know, obviously, we’re not the campaign here, but we can speak more broadly — that — generally, that the American people deserve better. They deserve better. And real leaders do not tear people down. They don’t question someone’s identity.
It’s just more of the same, more of the lack of respect. And — and, you know, it is — it is — it couldn’t be more inappropriate. And he also believes that the American people deserve better. He — deserves better.
You have a president who has spent the last four years, and more, talking about unity, talking about respecting each other, talking about bringing people together.
That’s what this president believes. And you see that i- — whether — in any policy that he talks about — right? — whether it’s the economy, health care — make sure that we respect each other with dignity.
That is what the president is ab- — is about.
I’ll leave it there.
Go ahead, Jacqui.
Q Thank you, Karine. I’m just hoping for a response to the 9/11 plea deal that spared the architects the death penalty.
The New York City firefighters union put out a statement that said, “we are disgusted and disappointed that these three terrorists were given a plea deal and allowed to escape the ultimate justice while each month three more heroes from the FDNY are dying from World Trade Center illnesses.”
Does the administration have a message for them?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Look, our hearts — our hearts go out. I mean, not much more that I can add to what you heard from the national security advisor and how I just answered the question to one of your colleagues. And I’ll just reiterate, obviously, our hearts go out to the families who lo- — who lost a loved one.
We didn’t have a role in this. This was not something that we were involved in. And so, we are determined to make sure that they get justice — these families get justice.
I just don’t have anything else to add to what the national security advisor just — just stated from here moments ago.
Q And then on the vice president’s presence tonight. Is she going to be around for the — any of the evening when we expect the detainees to come back to the U.S.?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Well —
Q Is she going to be part of this?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Again, Jake Sullivan, national security advisor, just literally confirmed that she would be p- — she will be part of this when — when they land tonight at JBA.
And so, the president will — the president and the vice president will be there to greet — to greet them.
So, the — you just heard this from Jake Sullivan.
Q And I wanted to follow up with Jake, but — but didn’t have a chance.
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Yeah.
Q It sounded like he almost took a swipe at — at the vice president and said that, “If Joe Biden wasn’t in the Oval Office, I don’t think this would have happened.” Was that a — a swipe at her relative inexperience or some sort of —
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Oh, I see what you’re saying.
Q Yeah.
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: They’re partners in this. Joe Biden and the vice president are partners in this. You heard him say that the — the vice president played a critical role — a critical role — in this diplomacy at a number — a number of key moments.
She met with the chancellor of Germany in Munich to help pave the way. She also met with the prime minister of Slovenia to help bring them into the negotiations. They were partners in this.
And then, you’ll see her tonight join the president to welcome back those Americans who were unjustly imprisoned in Russia. And that is going to be an — an important moment, a critical moment.
But they worked together on this. And I think what — what Jake — not to — not to say what he was saying — but he was very clear: This is a president that has had a long history in government — more than 50 years as a senator, as a vice president, and now as president.
It is because of his understanding of the world and the relationships with these leaders that he has had he’s been able to build back up our partnership with allies — right? — and also partners.
But let’s not — be very clear here. The vice president has been a partner in this.
I just listed out how critical of a role that she played in key moments very, very recently.
So, they’re partners, and I think that is what we want to make sure that is very, very clear to all of you.
Go ahead.
Q Karine, was there ever any consideration given to asking the vice president to, you know, come back sooner so she could be part of the announcement today? And — I’m sorry. Go ahead, answer that.
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: No, no. I’m sorry. You should finish — you should finish your — your question to me.
Q Well, no, I was just going to ask, I mean, if there was, you know, just for the atmospherics or the — the — you know, the kind of visual impact of having her there with the families today.
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Well, just to — just to reiterate, she played a — really a key — a key role here, a critical role during some key moments, as I just listed out. But I will remind you that she was at a funeral in Houston this morning. She was speaking at a funeral for the late congresswoman there in Texas. And that was also, as you know — when you — when you’re president and even vice president, you play multiple roles here.
And so, she’ll be coming back today, if she’s not back already. And she’ll be joining the president and the families as they get to welcome — welcome their loved one back from — after being unjustly imprisoned in Russia.
Q I just have one more question —
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Sure.
Q — about the 9/11 plea deal.
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Yeah.
Q You know, can you say from where you sit now whether you think the death penalty would have been an appropriate end? Or is that a — sort of a matter of principle for you, for the people at the White House —
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I — I —
Q — and with President Biden in particular?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: As you know, the president has been always very clear about the death penalty. I don’t have anything else to add. This is something that — that we learned about yesterday. This is something that the Convening Authority for Military Commissions made — an independent decision.
They made an independent decision. We were not involved.
I — I don’t want to get into — into, like, specifics on this because we’re just not involved at all in this process. And so, I’ll just be — be careful here and just leave it there.
Go ahead.
Q Did the president or anyone in the administration speak to the family of Marc Fogel today, to your knowledge?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: That’s a — a good question. I don’t have anything to read out about a particular conversation with the family of Marc Fogel. As you know, our team here has been in regular touch when a- — of many of the families who have loved ones who have been detained. Don’t have anything at this time to read out with Marc Fogel specifically.
But we are — continue to be committed. You heard — you heard Jake speak to this at the top when he was delivering his remarks to getting Americans home.
With each of these exchanges, it is our goal to secure release of as many as Americans as we can. That is the goal every time we get into these negotiations. And we’re always very careful. We do not do these in public, obviously. And at every step in this process, starting all the way back when we sought the release of Pa- — Paul Whelan and Brittney Griner, we also sought to release Marc Fogel as well, as you heard from — from Jake Sullivan.
We are actively continuing to do so and are engaged in active discussion on how we can get to that, how can we get to a path to get him home. Don’t have anything to read out on a — a recent conversation with their family.
Q On a —
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: With his family.
Q — separate topic. The Federal Reserve yesterday signaled that it could cut interest rates for the first time since the pandemic. Does the White House believe that’s a good idea?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I’m not going to comment on any monetary policy decisions or potential decisions by the Federal Reserve. They are independent. We respect that. And so, I’m not going to comment on that.
Go ahead, Katie.
Q Just to circle back, Jake did make the point that he believed that this wouldn’t have happened if the president wasn’t the one in the Oval negotiating. So, can you tell us a little bit more about how he’s thinking about this very clear work to seal up his legacy and balancing that with having to support the vice president, campaign for her even, and see her as a part- — and treat her as a partner in a subject where he clearly has, you know, a lot more experience?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, I’m not denying that Jake said that. Obviously, he —
Q I know. I just —
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: No, I’m — I’m —
Q I’m asking you to, like, go —
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: (Laughs.)
Q — tell — reveal some of his thinking about —
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Okay.
Q — how he’s got a balance this?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I think — I think you have to look at this in — in separate pieces. Right? The president has been president for — for some time. I used to say this all the time: With age comes experience. Right? And — and I think that’s important to no- — to note. And he’s had relationships with many of these leaders that are — that are currently, you know, out there in this present time and present day.
What I also want to state is that the vice president has been vice president for three and a half years. She has been part of this administration, obviously — not just part of it but a partner — and has developed her own relationship with world leaders, with a- — allies and partners.
And I think that’s important to note. She was part in having conversations with the — the chancellor of Germany, for example, in — in starting to get the path — us on a path for what we’re seeing today.
And so, obviously, she’ll — she — we feel that she’s, you know, immensely qualified. That’s why the president endorsed her. That’s why she is, you know, certainly a partner to him but also is doing her part in the next — being careful here — in the next four months.
And so, I’ll leave it there.
But, look, they are partners. They talk regularly. They, I think — I would say they’ve learned from each other — right? — with this partnership over the three and a half years.
But this is also a vice president who’s been a senator; who has been an attorney general; again, a vice president for almost four years; and has been in conversation — in critical, important conversations that matter to the American people pretty regularly with the president having — having her by the president’s side. And I think that matters. I think that matters. And that’s important.
Go ahead, Karen.
Q Thanks, Karine. Can you tell us about the condition of Evan, Paul, Alsu, and Vladimir? How is their health? And did that come up when they had those phone calls in —
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So —
Q — in the Oval Office?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: — I’m — I’m not going to get into — into details or into specifics or speak about their health. Obviously, they’re — they will be landing here in short order, in a couple of hours, so you all will be able to see — at least you’ll see them for yourselves. But I’m not going to speak to their health from here, not from this podium.
Q The president had described that they had gone through a lot. Did they talk —
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: They have.
Q — with the —
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: They have.
Q Did they —
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: They were imprisoned —
Q Yeah.
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: — unjustly so.
Q Did they talk about that in their phone call in the Oval Office?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I’m — I’m not going to get into further details to what — what the national security advisor shared here today. I’m pretty sure that when the time permits, they will — I’m sure at some point, they — if they wish to, they’ll speak for themselves.
Go ahead.
Q Yeah, thanks, Karine. So, Germany got 12 citizens back on this. Were they negotiating with the Russians? And was this two negotiations that merged or did this generate out of the U.S. talking about the U.S. prisoners?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Look, I think we’ve laid out pretty — been pretty detailed on how this occurred. Obviously, the U.S. played a — a leading role in this. And we are certainly very grateful to the alli- — our allies that worked with us on this. Obviously, we talked — I think I talked about Germany, Slovenia.
And so, I don’t have anything beyond what we’ve already shared with you on this. I don’t want to get into specifics or details. We have already shared how this came about.
Look, this is an important day. This is an important day. And truly, as I’ve been asked a couple of times, because of this president’s leadership, we have been able to get this done. We have been able to get home about 70 — 70 Americans who were unjustly imprisoned and held in the last three and a half years. That’s because this president has shown his commitment, and the vice president has shown their commitment on doing that.
And I think it sends, today and many other days that we’ve been able to get this done — it sends a message to the American people that we will put them first always — as it relates to foreign policy, national security, and making sure that we are getting Americans home. And I — I’ll leave it there.
Q Did — but did — are there going to be any events here at the White House with the prisoners — the American prisoners who are coming back?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I — I —
Q I know we’re going to Andrews.
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: No, I hear you. They’re — I can’t speak to anything this evening. I mean, obviously, they’re going to be landing here this evening. And they’re going to — my guess is they’re going to want to see their families, hold their families, hug their families. It’s been a long journey for them — not just getting home but these past couple of years. And that is — my guess is that’s what they’re going to want to do.
This is an emotional day. This is an emotional day. And it’s a good day. We should be really, really proud of what this administration has been able to do.
And, you know, don’t have anything beyond that.
Go ahead, Gerren.
Q Thanks, Karine. Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee is being —
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Yeah.
Q — laid to rest today in Houston. And one of her signature bills in Congress was H.R. 40, which, as you know, would create a commission to study the issue of reparations for African Americans. She took up that mantle from Congressman — the late John Conyers. And after more than 30 years of this bill being introduced, Congress has yet to be able to pass this bill. And as a result, Congresswoman Jackson Lee — when was she was still alive, she urged, along with advocates, for President Biden to take executive action.
Although the White House has repeatedly said the president’s position is that it should happen through Congress, I do wonder, given with only six months left of his administration and to honor her legacy, whether the president is more amenable to taking executive action, especially given the fact that he announced those Supreme Court reforms that came from a similar commission?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Look, Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee, who we had an opportunity — the president had an opportunity to go to Houston earlier this week to meet with her family, to offer up his condol- — condolences in person. And you saw the statement that he put out after we — we learned of her passing. She was a hero. She was beloved, obviously, by the people in Texas, in Houston, and the community that she represented, but also beyond that — certainly her colleagues in the Congressional Black Caucus and in Congress more broadly.
And we lift her up and we honor her, you know, not just — not just through legislative action but obviously honor the work that she’s — that she has been able to do and what she has meant to so many.
As far as the commission, the president has not changed where he is. He wants to see — he believes there should be a commission, and he does believe it should be a legislative process.
Obviously, we think it’s important. We want to help in any way to get that legislation done. But I just don’t have anything else to add beyond that.
Go ahead.
Q Thank you, Karine. Can we — can you talk about the support from Turkey this morning? In the briefing, Jake Sullivan mentioned that Turkey provided logistical support. But what we’re hearing now is that they are coordinating the exchange. Is that an accurate description? And, also, did the U.S. give the Turkish government anything in return for their support?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, look, this is — this was a big effort, as I mentioned before when I was answering a question from one of your colleagues. It took our — it took partner — our partners and allies to get this done. And we appreciate every effort that was done by them, obviously.
I think — I think Jake was also asked if there was a phone call made recently to Erdoğan. Obviously, we don’t — I don’t have anything to read out at this time. But it was — and they did offer technical support, as you know.
I don’t have anything beyond that to share. But we are very grateful — very grateful for the role that they have been able to play to get Americans home today. And so, I just don’t have anything beyond of what we’ve already been able to share.
Q And can you give us an update on American journalist Austin Tice that’s held in Syria?
And, also, just beyond that, I mean, obviously, our — our network, we’re very grateful and relieved that Alsu is freed, but there are other journalists in our network and — who are — may not — who may not be Americans. You know, we have colleagues held in Belarus, in Russian-occupied Crimea, in Myanmar —
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Yeah.
Q — families of Uyghur journalists held by China.
Again, these are not American journalists, but would the White House be able to say a position on their detain- — detainment?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: So, look, I’m not going to go by — person by person and take a position. But the president has been very clear on the importance of the freedom of the press, of the importance of journalists being allowed to do the work that they should be doing — right? — being able to report and see, you know, what is happening on the ground, wherever they are, and reporting and making sure they are freely able to do that.
And the president has those tough conversations with leaders that he meets privately. And we’ve been very clear publicly about supporting journalists and the work that they do and being able to do that work freely and not be intimidated and without violence.
And so, that’s something that we’re going to continue to be very, very clear about.
You just listed out a bunch of names. I — I can’t — I don’t want to go point by point on these names. But more broadly, we believe in the freedom of the press. This is important to us. We believe it’s part of our democracy. And we want to see — not just here. It’s important to see that, obviously, across — across the world.
Q Anything specific on Austin Tice?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I — I don’t have anything specific for you at this time.
When it comes to Americans being unjustly held, wrongfully detained, as you have seen from this president in last three and a half years, he’s going to do everything that he can.
I think today’s a perfect example. Bringing home 70 Americans over the last three and a half years is a perfect example of this president being committed to bringing home Americans who have been unjustly held.
I think I’m going to have to wrap it up pretty soon.
Go ahead, Jon.
Q Thanks a lot, Karine. When the president announced two Sundays ago that he’s withdrawing from the race and that he’s not running for another term, there were some that described him as a lame-duck president. How does this news today, this joyous news at the White House answer those critics describing President Biden in that fashion?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Well, I’m glad you call it joyous news, because it is. This is very, very good news. For — for all of us as Americans, we should be very proud of this moment.
Look, I’ve heard the term “lame duck.” I was asked at the podium if — if he is a lame-duck president. We’ve been very clear that he’s not. And today is a — is example of that. What he did on Monday, talking about SCOTUS reform, is an example of that.
The president is determined and he is very focused, along with the vice president, to get things done, to build on the accomplishments that we have been able to deliver for the American people in over the last three and a half years.
And these are historic accomplishments, whether it’s the American Rescue Plan that turned the economy around, restarted the economy. Now we’re leading in the world on that. Again, no Republicans voted for the American Rescue Plan.
You think about the Inflation Reduction Act — no Republican voted for that — and that is some- — a piece of legislation that has seen the biggest investment in climate change. Now Medicare can — can actually nego- — negotiate with Big Pharma, something that elected officials have been trying to do.
And he reached across the aisle to get infrastructure done, to get the CHIPS and Science Act done, to get the veterans — the PACT Act done.
So, it doesn’t end there. It doesn’t end there for him. He wants to see a lot of these important laws now — he wants us to get them — make sure they’re implemented. And we’re going to continue to — to use the remainder of this term to look for ways to build on that progress. And we will certainly share with you the specifics of that, as — as we — certainly, as we continue these next six months.
Q And secondly, yesterday, I asked a series of questions to you about the possibility of a hostage deal. At the time that —
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Yeah.
Q — I asked you those questions, were you aware —
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: Yes.
Q You were? You were aware?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I — yes.
Q And so, given that, you just didn’t want to answer that truthfully?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I mean, let’s —
Q You didn’t want to spoil the process —
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I — I —
Q — of the transfer of hostages?
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: I said I had nothing — I said I had nothing to share.
You have to understand —
Q Yeah.
MS. JEAN-PIERRE: — you have to understand this is a critical — as these things are moving, it is important. Our main focus is to make sure that we get these Americans home safely.
I would — I would hope as a journalist you understand that. It is important that they get home safely. That is our number-one priority — number-one priority.
And now that they are on their way home — the families were here — the families, the president, and the vice president will get to greet these Americans when they land here tonight. This is a huge, huge, monumentous [momentous] day — emotional day. And it is important. That is our goal, to make sure that they get home safely.
All right. Thanks, everybody.
2:06 P.M. EDT
