'Cleaning house:' Vance claims Russian prisoners are free because Trump will win election

Sen. J.D. Vance is trying to credit President Joe Biden's "big win" Thursday — Russia's return of imprisoned journalist Evan Gershkovich, ex-U.S. Marine Paul Whelan and others — to a surprising source: his running mate Donald Trump.

"We certainly want these Americans to come back home... But we have to ask ourselves, why are they coming home?" Vance reportedly told CNN.

"It's because bad guys all over the world recognize Donald Trump's about to be back in office, so they’re cleaning house."

Vance made this claim as the nation celebrated an historic event years in the making.

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Gershkovich, a reporter for the Wall Street Journal, spent more than a year in prison and Whalen more than five on espionage charges both men denied and the U.S. State Department condemned.

This election year, Trump has repeatedly raised eyebrows with claims that Russian President Vladimir Putin would release the journalist upon his reelection.

Instead, Biden secured the freedom of Gershkovich, Whalen and 14 others just an hour before he announced he would drop out of the 2024 presidential election, according to reports.

Biden fielded questions about the agreement during a press conference Thursday in which he was asked about Trump's claims he could have won the prisoners' release without any exchange.

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The president shot back, "Why didn't he do it when he was president?"