Trump claims he’d use relationship with Putin to free detained reporter

Former president Donald Trump claimed Thursday that he would leverage his relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin after the U.S. presidential election to secure the release of Evan Gershkovich, a Wall Street Journal reporter detained by Russia.

Gershkovich has been held for more than a year without formal charges or a trial. The American citizen was arrested in March 2023 while on a reporting trip and faces allegations of espionage that he, the Wall Street Journal and U.S. government vehemently deny.