Politics
Trump administration secures release of US teacher Marc Fogel from Russia
By Karah Rucker (Anchor), Evan Hummel (Producer), Shianne DeLeon (Video Editor)
- A Pennsylvania school teacher designated by the U.S. State Department as wrongfully detained in Russia is now free after more than three years of detainment. Marc Fogel was taken into custody in Russia in August 2021.
- As Straight Arrow News previously reported, Fogel was serving a 14-year sentence of hard labor and was just classified as wrongfully detained by the Biden administration in late December.
- Fogel’s family thanked President Donald Trump for securing the schoolteacher’s release in a statement on Tuesday.
Full Story
A Pennsylvania school teacher designated by the U.S. State Department as wrongfully detained in Russia is now free after more than three years of detainment.
Media Landscape
See how news outlets across the political spectrum are covering this story. Learn more
Left 29%
Center 43%
Right 28%
Bias Summary
- Marc Fogel, an American teacher detained in Russia, has been released, as announced by the White House on Feb. 11, 2025.
- Steve Witkoff, a special envoy for President Donald Trump, left Russian airspace with Fogel, who is expected to reunite with his family by the end of the day.
- Fogel was arrested in August 2021, and was serving a 14-year prison sentence for traveling with medically prescribed marijuana, as stated by his family and supporters.
- Mike Waltz, Trump's national security adviser, mentioned that the U.S. and Russia negotiated an exchange to ensure Fogel's release, indicating progress towards ending the war in Ukraine.
- No summary available because of a lack of coverage.
- Marc Fogel, an American teacher, was released from Russian detention after negotiations by President Trump and Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, as reported by National Security Adviser Mike Waltz.
- Fogel had been imprisoned for bringing medical marijuana into Russia in August 2021, and was serving a 14-year sentence.
- His release is seen as a gesture of goodwill from Russia, aimed at improving relations and facilitating talks over the war in Ukraine.
- Fogel's family expressed profound relief and gratitude for his return, stating, "This has been the darkest and most painful period of our lives, but today, we begin to heal."
Bias Comparison
Media outlets on the left
emphasize the White House’s role in Fogel’s release, framing it as a negotiation victory for the U.S. while noting specific political implications regarding the war in Ukraine.
Media outlets on the right
present the release as a goodwill gesture from Russia, acknowledging Fogel’s family’s pain, which humanizes the narrative but may downplay political complexities.
Report an issue with this comparison
Bias Distribution
Far
Left
Left
+0
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Untracked Bias
Click to close
283 other sources covering this story
Total News Sources
283
Leaning Left
52
Center
78
Leaning Right
51
Last Updated
2 months ago
Bias Distribution Powered by Ground News™
The Trump administration secured the release of Marc Fogel, who was arrested on charges of bringing medical marijuana into Russia, on Tuesday, Feb. 11, as part of a deal with the Kremlin.
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How did the Trump administration secure the release?
Billionaire businessman and President Donald Trump’s special envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, negotiated the agreement, according to The New York Times, although details of the deal between Washington and Moscow are scarce.
U.S. officials said Fogel was released from Russia and flown out of the country on Witkoff’s private jet.
What did we previously know about Fogel’s detainment?
As Straight Arrow News previously reported, Fogel had been serving a 14-year sentence of hard labor since June of 2022 and was just classified as wrongfully detained by the Biden administration in late December of 2024.
Who is Steve Witkoff?
Witkoff has reportedly been a close ally of Trump’s since the 1980s and had been secretly negotiating Fogel’s release. It’s the first known trip to Moscow by a senior U.S. official since former CIA Director William Burns flew to the Russian capital in November 2021 to try to stop Russia from invading Ukraine.
What is Fogel’s family saying?
Fogel’s family thanked President Trump for securing the schoolteacher’s release in a statement on Tuesday.
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“We are beyond grateful, relieved and overwhelmed that after more than three years of detention, our father, husband and son, Marc Fogel, is finally coming home,” according to the statement from his wife, Jane Fogel, and sons, Ethan and Sam.
Tags: Donald Trump, Kremlin, Moscow, prisoner swap, Prisoners, Russia, Russia-Ukraine War, Russian Detainment, Vladimir Putin, White House
[KARAH RUCKER]
A PENNSYLVANIA TEACHER DESIGNATED BY THE U-S AS “WRONGFULLY DETAINED” IN RUSSIA IS NOW FREE AFTER MORE THAN THREE YEARS.
THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION SECURED THE RELEASE OF MARC FOGEL, WHO WAS ARRESTED ON CHARGES OF BRINGING MEDICAL MARIJUANA INTO RUSSIA, TUESDAY AS PART OF A DEAL WITH THE KREMLIN.
BILLIONAIRE BUSINESSMAN AND PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP’S SPECIAL ENVOY TO THE MIDDLE EAST, STEVE WITKOFF NEGOTIATED THE AGREEMENT, ACCORDING TO THE NEW YORK TIMES, ALTHOUGH DETAILS OF THE DEAL ARE SCARCE.
IT IS UNKNOWN IF THE U-S RELEASED SOMEONE IN EXCHANGE FOR FOGEL’S FREEDOM.
U-S OFFICIALS SAY FOGEL WAS RELEASED FROM RUSSIA AND FLOWN OUT OF THE COUNTRY ON WITKOFF’S PRIVATE JET.
AS STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS PREVIOUSLY REPORTED, FOGEL WAS SERVING A 14-YEAR SENTENCE OF HARD LABOR SINCE JUNE 2022 AND WAS JUST CLASSIFIED AS WRONGFULLY DETAINED BY THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION IN LATE DECEMBER.
WITKOFF HAS REPORTEDLY BEEN A CLOSE ALLY OF TRUMP’S SINCE THE 80S AND HAD BEEN SECRETLY NEGOTIATING FOGEL’S RELEASE.
IT’S THE FIRST KNOWN TRIP TO MOSCOW BY A SENIOR U-S OFFICIAL SINCE FORMER C-I-A DIRECTOR WILLIAM BURNS FLEW TO THE RUSSIAN CAPITAL IN NOVEMBER OF 2021 TO TRY TO STOP RUSSIA FROM INVADING UKRAINE.
FOGEL’S FAMILY THANKED PRESIDENT TRUMP FOR SECURING THE SCHOOL TEACHER’S RELEASE IN A STATEMENT TUESDAY, SAYING:
“WE ARE BEYOND GRATEFUL, RELIEVED AND OVERWHELMED THAT AFTER MORE THAN THREE YEARS OF DETENTION, OUR FATHER, HUSBAND AND SON, MARC FOGEL, IS FINALLY COMING HOME.”
FOR MORE ON THIS STORY– DOWNLOAD THE STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS APP OR VISIT SAN DOT COM.
FOR STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS– I’M KARAH RUCKER.
Media Landscape
See how news outlets across the political spectrum are covering this story. Learn more
Left 29%
Center 43%
Right 28%
Bias Summary
- Marc Fogel, an American teacher detained in Russia, has been released, as announced by the White House on Feb. 11, 2025.
- Steve Witkoff, a special envoy for President Donald Trump, left Russian airspace with Fogel, who is expected to reunite with his family by the end of the day.
- Fogel was arrested in August 2021, and was serving a 14-year prison sentence for traveling with medically prescribed marijuana, as stated by his family and supporters.
- Mike Waltz, Trump's national security adviser, mentioned that the U.S. and Russia negotiated an exchange to ensure Fogel's release, indicating progress towards ending the war in Ukraine.
- No summary available because of a lack of coverage.
- Marc Fogel, an American teacher, was released from Russian detention after negotiations by President Trump and Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, as reported by National Security Adviser Mike Waltz.
- Fogel had been imprisoned for bringing medical marijuana into Russia in August 2021, and was serving a 14-year sentence.
- His release is seen as a gesture of goodwill from Russia, aimed at improving relations and facilitating talks over the war in Ukraine.
- Fogel's family expressed profound relief and gratitude for his return, stating, "This has been the darkest and most painful period of our lives, but today, we begin to heal."
Bias Comparison
Media outlets on the left
emphasize the White House’s role in Fogel’s release, framing it as a negotiation victory for the U.S. while noting specific political implications regarding the war in Ukraine.
Media outlets on the right
present the release as a goodwill gesture from Russia, acknowledging Fogel’s family’s pain, which humanizes the narrative but may downplay political complexities.
Report an issue with this comparison
Bias Distribution
Far
Left
Left
+0
Click to close
Click to close
Click to close
Click to close
Click to close
Click to close
Untracked Bias
Click to close
283 other sources covering this story
Total News Sources
283
Leaning Left
52
Center
78
Leaning Right
51
Last Updated
2 months ago
Bias Distribution Powered by Ground News™
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