Viktor Bout, an infamous international arms dealer who has been dubbed the “merchant of death,” recently extended an offer of asylum to former President Donald Trump.
Speaking to a Russian state TV channel, Bout claimed that Trump’s life was in danger in the United States as a result of the Manhattan district attorney’s investigation into allegations that Trump falsified business records to conceal a hush money payment made to former adult film star Stormy Daniels prior to the 2016 election.
According to Bout, the threat to Trump’s life did not stem from an assassin or an unknown conspiracy, but rather from his own government.
Bout stated that Trump should seek refuge in Russia for his safety, and should lead an “uprising against the globalists” from abroad. He believes that if Trump is convicted and barred from the 2024 election, he will most likely be eliminated.
Bout believes that it is in the best interests of all of humanity and primarily all of the American people to invite Donald Trump to Russia and give him security and protection.
Bout generated headlines in December when the Biden administration agreed to swap him for WNBA player Brittney Griner, who had been jailed in Russia after being convicted on a drug charge. Rob “Zach” Zachariasiewicz, a former DEA agent, warned against the potential deal, calling it dangerous for the U.S. and the West. Bout provided the fuel for conflicts across the globe and was a critical player in the global illicit arms trade.
Zachariasiewicz stated that a tremendous amount of resources and political capital were spent on the critical national security investigation into Bout’s actions.
He added that negotiating for Bout’s release is a shortsighted foreign policy, and such actions merely encourage adversaries to engage in the kidnapping, illegal detention, and ransoming of American citizens throughout the world.