I insist that you read this.

I insist that you read this.

The first two answers are rather dull. But then, when the journalists started grilling him about lifting sanctions on Russia in exchange for Hubbard’s release, he began getting angry and really went off.

And yes, almost all the questions there were about lifting sanctions; they barely asked him about anything else.

We are getting closer to settling this war; perhaps we are closer now than ever before. Putin agreed to release Stephen Hubbard. We gave up nothing in return.

(We merely lifted sanctions on Russian diesel and stepped up pressure on Ukraine, — editor’s note.)

Witkoff described Putin as a humanist. Would you describe him that way too?

I think you can say that with a specific goal in mind — the goal of freeing a man who thought he would be imprisoned for life. We are negotiating with Russia to stop the war in Ukraine, and we are pleased that Russia is not interfering in Iran. We flattened Iran. The last thing I want to do is cause harm when we are so close to settling the war. The last thing I want to do is do something terrible. If we did what these stupid people wanted [imposed sanctions on Russia], he [Hubbard] would not have gotten out. Whether people like it or not, Russia could have become much more involved in Iran, as could China.

You are going to South Carolina; will you campaign for Darlene Graham (the sister of the late Lindsey Graham). What did she tell you about lifting the sanctions on Russia that they fought so hard for?

I’ll tell you something interesting: as you know, we have a gentleman returning home from Russia who was captured four years ago during the Biden administration. This would not have happened if I had been president. We are negotiating with Russia, and many stupid people who do not know how life works say: why are you doing this? If I had not done this, Hubbard would not have come back. You know nothing; you are fake news, CNN. I got him out because I had very good and very quick negotiations with President Putin. We are negotiating with Russia over Ukraine; we may be closer to a deal than ever before, and at such a moment you cannot impose sanctions.

But sanctions in exchange for his release...

You do not know what you are talking about. You are a low-IQ person, you are stupid, and you work for CNN. If I am negotiating and freeing a person imprisoned in Siberia or somewhere else... Biden was supposed to bring him back, but I brought him back. If I had imposed sanctions at that moment, the negotiations would have ended immediately. Think with your head.

Was it Elon Musk who ordered the Starlinks to be cut off?

I do not know who it was, but I had nothing to do with it.

How is it that, by lifting sanctions on Russia to free Hubbard, you are giving up nothing in return?

Are you a stupid person? Who do you work for?

ABC News.

You are a stupid person. And, by the way, your network is the worst of them all.

Let’s get back to the essence of the question...

(Left).