Former NBA basketball player Dennis Rodman is not going to Russia to rescue Brittney Griner after all, following State Department discouragement.
Of course, whether or not he was going to be able to have an impact is debatable but Rodman told NBC News on Saturday, “I got permission to go to Russia to help that girl.”
“I’m trying to go this week,” Rodman declared at the time.
The plans began to fall apart yesterday, however, as a State Department spokesperson, Ned Price, told ABC News during a press briefing that if Rodman did travel to Russia, “He would not be traveling on behalf of the U.S. government.”
Price explained that “We believe that anything other than negotiating further through the established channel is likely to complicate and hinder those release efforts.”
As we previously reported, Russia has bristled at some of the public scrutinies of attempts to have her released from custody.
Rodman later told ABC News yesterday that he doesn’t currently have plans to travel to Russia.
Trump-endorsed author Nick Adams, however, said previously that he believes, “Dennis Rodman has a better chance of freeing Brittney Griner than Joe Biden does.”
Dennis Rodman has a better chance of freeing Brittney Griner than Joe Biden does.
— Nick Adams (@NickAdamsinUSA) August 22, 2022
A MSNBC op-ed also called the previously planned trip by Rodman a “Hall-of-Fame worthy bad idea,” which also could have contributed to his reversal.
- Tim Kaine Provides Cover For Joe Biden on the Border Crisis, Blames Lack of a ‘Robust Work Visa Program’ for ‘Some of the Chaos at the Border’ - March 27, 2024
- Elon Musk Rips NBC For Hiring and ‘Immediately’ Firing Ronna McDaniel ‘That’s How Biased They Are!’ - March 27, 2024
- Marjorie Taylor Greene Makes Move, Files Motion to Vacate Against Speaker Mike Johnson After House Passage of $1.2T Spending Bill - March 22, 2024