UPDATE
11:42 AM PT — U.S. Congressman Colin Allred has big beef with Trump over his comments on the Griner situation … telling the guys on “TMZ Live” on Monday, “For Donald Trump to call anybody spoiled is really rich.”
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TMZSports.com
UPDATE
Allred says he doesn’t think Trump has any idea what he’s talking about … and he added he still believes Griner is being used as a “political pawn.”
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“This is not about her being some kind of spoiled person, or trying to transport drugs or anything like that,” Allred said. “That’s the Russian narrative. That’s not the truth.”
Donald Trump‘s going in on Brittney Griner, accusing the “potentially spoiled” WNBA star of traveling to Moscow “loaded up with drugs,” and burying the idea of trading BG for a Russian arms dealer … all in a new interview.
76-year-old Trump recently appeared on the “Clay Travis & Buck Sexton Show” where he was asked about 31-year-old Griner’s detainment in Russia.
“She went in there loaded up with drugs into a hostile territory where they’re very vigilant about drugs. They don’t like drugs, and she got caught,” Trump said.
“And, now we’re supposed to get her out, and she makes, you know, a lot of money, I guess. We’re supposed to get her out for an absolute killer and one of the biggest arms dealers in the world. Killed many Americans. Killed many people.”
“Loaded up with drugs” isn’t exactly consistent with the known information. Griner, in court, admitted to accidentally bringing marijuana that she says was prescribed by a doctor in the States to help deal with the pain from old hoops injuries, instead of taking powerful pain pills.
“It certainly doesn’t seem like a very good trade, does it? He’s absolutely one of the worst in the world and he’s gonna be given his freedom because a potentially spoiled person goes into Russia loaded up with drugs,” Trump told Travis and Sexton.
Trump’s referring to convicted arms dealer Viktor Bout — known as the “Merchant of Death” — who the U.S. has reportedly talked about swapping for Griner.
Not everyone’s against the trade.
Last week, we spoke to U.S. Congressman Colin Allred — who, like Griner, was an athlete at Baylor U. — and he told us it’s up to the Russians to accept the deal.
“The ball is entirely in the Russian’s court. I think we’ve made a very good offer to them based off what we know what they want,” Allred said.
The Congressman did not get into specifics of the deal … nor did he mention Bout’s name.
TMZSports.com
Griner has been detained near Moscow since late February … when Russian officials found hashish oil in her bag. She pled guilty, and is awaiting her sentence. Brittney faces up to 10 years in prison … unless there’s a prisoner swap.
Originally Published — 8:14 AM PT