re: Saudi Crown Prince brokered deal to swap Griner for arms dealer Viktor Bout

Leftists: "We need common sense gun control, and we need it NOW!!!"

Also Leftist: "It was necessary to free the world's most notorious gun runner to get our basketball player back!"

Leftist: "Saudi Arabia is an intolerant regime that hates women and kills journalists!! The US has to fight these injustices at all costs!!"

Also Leftist: "Well, I'm glad the Prince was able to do what was necessary to get our basketball player back. It was worth compromising our principles for such an important person"

I'm no fan of Vladimir Putin or Russia's government. But from a pure negotiations stand point it was a shrewd move to leverage the woke dreamers currently in charge of the US Government to (a) get a FAR more impactful citizen (even if for bad) back in exchange for someone who has virtually zero impact on the US; and (b) embarrass the US and further diminish its credibility to the rest of the world (even though our useful idiots in the media won't acknowledge such). This would be like the US trading prime Peyton Manning for Garrett Grayson...then having a big celebration about what a great trade they made at the Colts' expense.