Biden faced internal opposition to Brittney Griner swap, reports say

Department of Justice viewed deal to exchange basketball star for Russian arms dealer as a mistake

Joe Biden has faced pressure from within his own administration, as well as his political opponents, in securing the release of basketball player Brittney Griner from Russia, according to reports.

On Thursday, Biden hailed the intense and painstaking negotiations" that led to the release of Griner in a prisoner swap deal with the arms dealer Viktor Bout. Griner was arrested at a Moscow airport in February for possession of a small amount of cannabis oil, while Bout, nicknamed the merchant of death', was serving a 25-year sentence in federal prison for fueling conflicts in Africa and the Middle East.