Key Points
- To give you an idea as to how dangerous the US considered Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout to be, the Trump Administration turned down a deal to swap Bout for ex-Marine Paul Whelan.
- That’s according to John Bolton, who was a national security adviser under former President Donald Trump when Russia offered the deal for Bout, also know as the “Merchant of Death.”
- “The possibility of a Bout-for-Whelan trade existed back then and it wasn’t made, for very good reasons having to deal with Viktor Bout,” Bolton told CBS News.
ThinkCivics researches, examines, and reports on issues that matter most. We deliver explanative, fearless, and insightful analysis for public consumption.
