to have a conviction before the move forward on any deal. >> he saw that as a promising sign that things could be moving forward. and as we saw today, they were in fact moving very quickly behind the scenes to bring both paul, evan, and also kurmasheva back home just very quickly. >> what were they? conditions like for him there? >> they were pretty deplorable from what he described them. he said, you know, there was virtually no medical care. the food was atrocious and various small portions, he had to work in they clothing factory he described as a sweatshop. he said sometimes there would be guards who who wouldn't let him make phone calls. he was allowed to make phone calls to his parents almost every day, but sometimes they would cut that access off. was very very hard for him over those 5.5 years, there. and it's interesting that he was allowed to call you though? an american journalist. >> it's very interesting. i actually asked him about that once and he said he thinks the russian sought to their advantage as well very, very interesting, excellent reporting. >> thank you so much. jennifer hansler, i'm pamela brown in the situation room. erin burnett >> burnett outfront starts right now

you'll hear how a cocktail napkin set this entire deal into motion. >> and trunk tripling down on attacking harris and questioning her race. >> charlemagne tha god has something to say about that. he's my guest. let's go outfront and good evening. >> i'm erin burnett outfront tonight. the breaking news countdown to touchdown right now, we are monitoring a private plane that as i speak, is flying over the atlantic, the amid atlantic approaching the united states at this very moment. wall street journal reporter evan gershkovich, former us marine paul whelan

and russian-american journalist alsu kurmasheva are on that private plane after the, biggest prisoner swap since the end of the cold war. and we'll show you live pictures from joint base andrews that is where that private plane is going to be landing within the next few hours, president biden and vice president kamala harris will be there to greet them at joint base andrews when they arrive. in fact, kamala harris is expected to touch down at joint base andrews at any moment where she will wait to welcome gershkovich, whelan, and kurmasheva just before she boarded air force two in texas, she spoke out for the first time about the historic prisoner swap we never stop fighting for their release today. >> and they're separate. it gives me great comfort to know that there horrible. >> deal is timely they're horrible ordeal is finally over. >> and this is a victory for biden and he is taking a victory lap beuttler deal is

over they're free moments ago families and i are able to speak to them on the telephone from the oval office. >> this an incredible relief for all the family members gathered here that's relief to the friends and colleagues all across the country have been praying for this day for a long time. the deal that made this possible was a feat of diplomacy. and friendship friendship. vulnerable countries helped get this done. they joined a difficult complex negotiations at my request and there were seven countries involved and while the biden administration and much of the united states were celebrating the breaking news of the release for our president trump this morning after the news broke was posting about harris is indian heritage. >> now, this is a day after questioning her race. when he did change his his angle here and start responding to the news of the historic hostage deal where the u.s. and its allies got 16 people free and

putin got eight. trump said this you know, i got out 59 different people, 59. and i didn't pay money. they allowed some really rough people out. you know that right? >> now, just to be clear, this was a prisoner swap. no money was paid, none so the insinuation on that part was false. but trump's frustration is clear. this is not how he wanted this to go down. he was the one who wanted to make this deal. >> now we have a hostage, the wall street journal reporter i think a good guy and he's over there because putin is laughing at this guy probably asking for billions of dollars for the reporter. i will have him out very quickly as soon as i take office before i take office, i said by literally, as soon as i win the election, i will have that reporter out. you know, we don't play games now, he'll come out. president putin respects me and he's going to

come out. he's going to come out within 24 hours. evan gershkovich the reporter for the wall street journal, who is being held by russia, will be released almost immediately after the election. but definitely before i assume office he will be home. it will be safe. vladimir putin, president of russia, will do that for me. and i don't believe you'll do it for anyone else well, of course, evan gershkovich is now home before anyone assumes office next january. >> he's going to be home in just a few hours and ask for whom putin is doing this for he's not doing we have for anyone but himself tonight, he's being hailed as a hero in russia, state television fawning over images of the russian president greeting the former president prisoners red carpet. there were people with flowers putin would take big chunks of those flowers and then hand them off. we have a team of reporters standing by as this breaking story develops. and i want to begin with you, mj lee, because i know you're outfront live at joint base andrews where the next stage of this historic day will happen within these next

hours where we're all waiting for that plan to land tonight, where you are i can imagine how emotional that will be even for you standing there to watch this, it is for any american. i know you're getting some new information. mj about who's actually on this private plane along with but the prisoners yeah. >> erin, in just a few hours, we are going to see that joy is homecoming for those three americans. and just moments after their feet touch american soil, of course, greeting them here at jba will be president biden, vice president harris, and of course, members of their families. and paul whelan this would be the end of almost a six-year detention for him for evan gershkovich almost more than a year, i should say. i'm for these three americans who boarded a plane in ankara earlier today, they're joined on the plane. i'm told by a us official, by a number of medics, as well as a psychologist and other us government officials and once they land at jba, of course, the first thing that they're going to do is get to spend a little bit of time with their

families who had been waiting for them. but soon thereafter, later tonight, erin, they're going to be all getting on a plane to san antonio. this is where they're going to be taken to brooke army medical center where they will each get a medical evaluation really get the care that they need. i'm told for as long as they need. this is very typical protocol for any wrongfully detained american once returning home, we saw that with brittney griner when she came home after being detained in russia back in december of 2022 this is all just a good reminder that despite this being a really joyful occasion and one to certainly please celebrate for all three of them, of course they have had a really rough time facing harsh conditions that we cannot even potentially begin to imagine. and there is going to be a long road potentially of recovery for all of them that are returning home now, for president biden, i should quickly note this means that he can now cement the return khan of these americans as a part of his one-term legacy. and now we know after today that he had actually

spent even the day that he announced that he was ending his 2024 campaign trying to get this deal across the finish line, including making one phone call that is now been described as having made the final piece of this deal fall into place. >> aaron right. mj, of course not on that plane. also, vladimir kara murza a green card holder whose family here waiting promising more medical care before he comes all the way back to the u.s jason carroll is outfront in novi, michigan. meantime, tonight that of course is the hometown of paul whelan and jason. you've had a chance as you've gotten there to speak with people they're his story has become so important that community, what are you hearing we know what's remarkable about this, erin, this is a story that as you know, broke several hours ago, but some folks just getting home from work just now hearing about the news in terms of what happened with this release, of course this is where paul whelan worked. >> this is where he lives. he lives right here in this neighborhood before his arrest,

working here in novi and corporate security. and in speaking to people from the community, as you can imagine, there is a great deal of relief. one man that i spoke to said, i'm just happy that he's home. i'm happy b that he's been released. another man said referring to all of the years that he spent in that russian prison. he said five christmas is five birthdays. i hope that he can catch up in terms of life when i hear about that russian prison, i just get chills and then this woman said this, she was surprised, actually aaron, to hear that this was someone who had lived in this community. she said, it doesn't matter where he's from. he's an american. i'm just glad that he's back home now. this is something not just that hits home here in novi, but to the state of michigan, as you know, his parents live in manchester, michigan. this is something that many people here in this state really take to heart. this woman said to me, it doesn't matter if he's from michigan or any other state. i'm just glad that he's back on us soil.

>> aaron all right. >> jason. thank you so much and joined here by my panel, starting with congresswoman haley stevens, because congressman paul whelan lives in your district, right? obviously know vaez is, you know what is family thanked you personally in a statement today for advice and comfort to our family as paul's case wore on, i know you had a chance to speak with elizabeth paul's sister today. what can you tell us congresswoman? >> they're absolutely remarkable people elizabeth whelan is an american hero he, has been tireless. we have cried together. we've prayed together. our entire delegation has rallied around this family it's such a treat to have jason and novi, michigan. this is really personal not only to the community, but our entire state and we're we've just been there with them and it's it's been long road. every term i've been in congress three terms. i've introduced a resolution calling on russia to release paul and now he's finally free

and he's coming home. this is a day we dreamed for, and it's absolutely remarkable. and it's showcases the biden-harris approach to foreign policy. erin it showcases what happens when you bring together allies, when you get these diplomatic feats and today's a win for this country and certainly for the whelan family. >> david, we heard donald trump saying he would get the prisoners freed. of course, though biden is the one who actually did it and here is an exchange that biden had today. stay with a reporter said repeatedly that he could have gotten them hostages out without giving anything in exchange. what do you say to that? what do you say to president trump? >> former president? why did you need duties? president now, david just, you know, i know it sounds like that's sort of a, killer line. >> of course, of the americans that are free today only paul whelan was in custody during the trump administration. ivan

gershkovich wasn't. i mean, so it's fair to point that out. the bottom line though, is david in this moment, how much does this matter for biden politically well, i think it's important to his legacy. >> this is a major achievement to get these people home and let me just say, erin, if i were advising donald trump, this is not within his range of possibility, but this is a great day for this country. this is a great day for americans. people are happy to have these americans home. and donald trump can't stand it because he's afraid someone else will get credit for. this reminds me of what happened last fall when or last winter when there was a chance to pass a really, really impactful border no, and he told his allies in congress not to do it because biden would get credit this is a very bad look for him. so in terms of biden's legacy, absolutely. and he said he wanted to work on problems when he announced that he wasn't going to continue to run. this was a big one and

it's obviously been in the works for a really long time and it's to his great credit and it is a tribute to diplomacy and alliances and so on. the things that he believes in, and i think most americans believe in tomorrow, of course this involved compromises. and they let go someone they said was the author of all credit card fraud and america serving a 27 year sentence, someone who is a convicted murderer serving a life sentence. i just did not come without cost. it's unclear whether that will matter to people, but in the moment of course, they celebrate what america got home and the other question of course is whether that sentiment will just go to biden or whether it will also help harris. so now they're trying to say harris paid a role in the efforts that she got germany on board. she had a meeting with the chancellor there at one point, they said it was very important because that assassin was in germany, that was german decision to release him. that she spoke to yulia navalnya, alexey navalny's wife today. and just a few moments ago, she said this, jamal over many years, president biden and i and i have engaged in complex diplomatic location to bring

you talk three detained americans we never stop fighting for their release has been my honor, to work alongside our president joe biden to bring home more than 70 american in the last three-and-a-half years or so interesting, trump's touting his 59 there, touting their 70 will this help her versus trump? first of all, to start off where david started, which is this is an american moment to be happy, this is a moment where all of us can sort of take pride that we have done the thing though we always professed where he did not leave them behind and we went back and got them. and you would just hope that on trump could put that aside for a second, put aside his own political interests for a second, and do that. but it's apparently just not part of who he is will it help kamala harris once we get past that help for these folks? i think it will ultimately yes, it will help them because this is a team between president biden and kamala harris that have been working together on issues like this for a long time when i was in the white house back in 2022, it was in the run-up

to the war in ukraine when russia was going to invade the vice president went to the munich conference to talk to president zelenskyy, to talk to our allies to help knit together their response we're going to have when that invasion occurred, she went to romania and poland. she went back to the munich again a year later. she's been involved with the president foreign policy and foreign policy and national security a lot. and i will just tell you there are days that i would get phone calls from our chief of staff and the vp's office that would ask me, can you move something around this morning? the vice president was in the situation room as night for a couple of hours. so she didn't get a lot of sleep. let's try to give her an easier morning than when we had planned. this is a part this is the way they govern this country together. >> so kristen, what do you think about what do you make of the focus on harris is involvement here? >> it makes a lot of sense that the white house is deciding to put her forward because now that biden after a lot of weeks of deliberation, finally decided to step aside from his candidacy. they're now

realizing that they have to do a much better job of introducing her to the american public and attaching hurdle accomplishments than i think that they have i'd been during the first three years of the biden presidency there's a reason why a lot of voters right now are just getting introduced to her, are just beginning to learn a little bit more about who she is and those opinions are forming in real time so i fully expect that starting now and moving forward through the next few months, we're going to see a lot more of the vice he's president outfront, a lot more sort of attaching the vice president to the administration's accomplishments republicans will be quite eager at the same time to tie the vice president to things that they don't think are successes of the administration. so it does cut both ways, right? >> it is interesting though, just hearing what jamal said, that is not a narrative that is not a line of talk that we have heard honestly about this does it change in terms of what the public is being presented with? congressman our steve contorno spoke with j.d vance today and of course, j.d. vance also is very interested in foreign

policy. here's what he said about the swap we have to ask ourselves, why are they coming home? and i think it's because bad guys all over the world recognize donald trump's about to be back in office, so they're cleaning house. that's a good thing. and i think it's a testament to donald trump's strength congressman, what do you say to that? that perhaps this happened because putin didn't want to have the risks that it would be trumped across the negotiating table well, i certainly know that mr. vance has been in the senate for a year and i've been working on this issue for five-and-a-half years across two administrations and look, this has everything to do with the successful approach of the biden-harris administration and pulling together our allies period, full we'll stop. this is a momentous day. it is a day for all of us to come together as americans. you notice jason's interviewing people in novi, michigan. they're not claiming or proclaiming what party they are. i know you're just happy to celebrate. paul wieland return. and so i wish i could have seen mr. vance at the table helping to get mr.

whelan home, but he wasn't even in office at that time. so he can play political games and trade barbs. but we're here doing the people's work that david, in terms of how putin sees this and this is important. this is where this will go once we're done this moment when people are start to focus on what, whether this has an impact on the candidates putin at trump and biden have spoken obviously very differently about putin, who they are president putin was in total gentleman. he's not a decent man. he's a dictator, here's a guy who's very savvy. >> i know him very well, very, very well. so you know vladimir putin, you think he's a killer? i do so david, do you think putin thought a possible president trump would be worse for him in this no, when j.d. vance said he he he's cleaning house in advance of the election of trump. i think it's his guest room that he's cleaning out because trump has

been his friend. i mean, trump has praised him lavishly as you've suggested, he saw that, he said was genius when, when ukraine moved into, when russia moved into ukraine, and his running mate is the leading opponent of supporting ukraine in this war in the united states senate, i don't know no. how much more you could do for vladimir putin than that. so that's a ridiculous, a ridiculous analysis. i think this thing like every negotiation, there were things that both sides wanted. this has been going on for months and months and months. it involve a lot of different countries. and it finally came to fruition. that's why it happened. now good hard bargaining and alliances, it's also jamal there, there's some reporting that this is possible that have been done at different times. the biden administration at some points had had focused more on the ukraine war and how that was going from a diplomatic perspective, put that as a priority as opposed to these hostages, political prisoners?

but now that changed do you think there's a political calculus to that listen, i think that the president of vice president has been focused on how do they get these folks home for a long time? >> when i was there, brittney griner was in custody in russia and there was a lot of conversation during a time period about getting brittney home, a lot of people who are outside the white house wanted the vice president speak up more really raise the temperature on this. one of the things that we knew was that it was helpful. it was more helpful for brittney griner for the vice president for a long period of time to not speak up more, to not raise the temperature. so there was a lot of conversation in negotiation about the stuff and all these things are overlapping circles to the vice president talks about our venn diagrams but a lot of these things are over overlapping circles. and you have to figure out what's the right thing to do. and i listened to j.d. vance and i just think this guy is just sold his soul to the donald right? he is out here just saying whatever it is that donald trump wants to say without really thinking about what it's going to mean for the country or for maybe the rest of his political career. and it's a shame to watch them do this. >> alright, we'll all thank you very much. i appreciate it on this historic work workday

to be able to speak to all of you. next, the man who has been key to this entire historic day, this prisoner swap deal since the very beginning the investigative journalist christo grozev, it all started when christo wrote down the name of one man on a cocktail. now he'll explain plus trump not shying away from his comments, questioning whether kamala harris is black. >> charlemagne tha god as fired up has a lot to say about this and he'll be with me live. and j.d vance tonight is now saying this about commonly harris look, all he said is that kamala harris is a chameleon and we have a pretty good idea where j.d. vance got the idea of the word chameleon erin burnett outfront brought to you by astra pro allergy nasal allergy relief, that stuff it's working in 30 minutes when his my allergies freaking if you can, you need asked to

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on their way home to the u.s and this just released video so happy that you're out alright, that comes as we're learning more about the freed russian assassin, who from day one was the key to this deal, a hit man who gunned down multiple people, including a chechen exile in an execution-style killing and a german park in broad daylight matthew chance is outfront this was that journey to freedom evan gershkovich sentenced to 16 years for espionage appearing at the outside world from a prison boss for being walked to a waiting plane he's followed by paul whelan a former marine, also designated wrongfully detained by the us, and who spent the past six years in a russian prison they and 14

others. >> and free at last, when a us official tells cnn the scene the diaa played a critical role. the go shooting, the multinational deal all hear happy birthday to you for president biden. this was what the unprecedented swap was all a backed reuniting families like that of alsu kurmasheva, that u.s. russian journalist whose daughter, is turning 13. >> she's also whose daughter now she gets to celebrate with her mom. >> i'm the family of kremlin critic vladimir kara-murza, sentenced to 25 years in russia for treason. now, also a free man it's a major coup for president biden and his influence with us allies like slovenia, norway, and germany, who agreed to surrender convicted criminals from russia as part of the deal. this is just one of the russians given up by deem krasikov is an

assassin convicted of a ruthless killing in the german capital his employer's the fsb, the old kgb confirmed eight russian citizens in total were handed back, including connected spies and cybercriminals serving lengthy prison sentences in the u.s. and elsewhere their return was made possible thanks to the systematic and targeted work of competent government agencies and fsb statement reads back in the u.s. >> there's overwhelming relief. >> innocent prisoners are finally free the kremlin is celebrating too putin personally welcoming swap russians back to moscow he's strategy, have trading, bargaining chips, has again yielded results will erin, the criminals that the

cybercriminals, the assassin returned to moscow. they're not prominent figures in russia, but you can see vladimir putin literally rolled out the red carpet and greeted them with flowers at the airport in moscow to welcome them back. and he says he's going to meet them again to discuss what future role these people could have in russia once they get settled back at home such an important detail though the meaning of it, that there was that literal red carpet in the late hours of this evening in moscow for them right, matthew, thank you. i want to go now to christo grozev. he is the investigative journalist. you all know, and he played a critical role in this prisoner exchange right now, christo is in germany. he is awaiting 12 other prisoners that putin has released because christo and we lay out these numbers, there are, there are for obviously coming to the united states. evan gershkovich, paul whelan, vladimir kara murza, we know that they are, they are on their way, perhaps some of them for sure, but you are waiting for the rest, many of whom you

don't even know. no one knows where they're going to go, right there. russian citizens being released, dissidents being released that is correct. i mean, eight russian citizens have been released today. they will be coming here shortly. they've already landed in germany to them, this was a shock and they did not know that they were being prepared for this amazing trade from their point of view, they only found out in the last 48 hours, 24 many of them. so there's going to be stranded in germany and we hear to try to support them with at least trying to figure out the first days and where they're going next. >> i'm in pretty incredible right? that to have that is and that they, at this moment, in a sense, or stateless at least for those americans, a place to come home for the russians another, another part of their story let's not forget that not all of them wanted to leave russia i mean, some of them explicitly said that they would prefer to stay and fight within

russia, within jail but even they were part of this trait. >> so it's a complicated psychological state that they will be in but overall, this on balance is a good thing because many of these people were languishing in jail and some of them were in poor health. and getting them out here, giving them a fresh start is definitely the humane thing to do. >> and crystallize you are in germany waiting for this here at what is now the beginning of the next step. the end of this actual transaction on this historic day, you were there when it began, you were in a restaurant with a chief us hostage negotiator, roger carstens. this is back in april of 2023 at that point, evan gershkovich had been arrested by putin just days before. so you're sitting there and you write down the names of people putin would exchange for on tell napkin on a cocktail napkin and that's how all of this began and yet it wasn't until just hours ago these past couple of days that you felt this was really going to happen? >> that is that is true. it was

a multiyear project that actually started even before that napkin and started at an aspen security conference dinner where i shared my idea already of this potential humanitarian swap with hillary clinton. she made it latched onto the idea she helped actually bring the the idea to the white house and then a year later with this meeting that i was privileged to have with roger carstens, i was able to explain to him the importance for the kremlin of this particular criminal who is serving a life sentence in germany. >> so let me ask you, let me just jump in because that was the top name on the cocktail napkin. write you write down vadim krasikov, this russian assassin that you're talking about, serving a life sentence for murder carried out other assassinations. we saw him tonight christo getting off the plane in moscow. there he is greeting vladimir putin, getting a hug now, why was this one man? this one man here. we're watching this meeting between him and putin. so

important to putin it was his personal assassin that's the nutshell version of the story we identified at least three prior set nations that this person had conducted within russia and all of the assassination said political motive. >> it was clearly something get done on behalf of the kremlin. and we have evidenced reason to believe that this relationship with putin goes back to long before even he became president. so you could hear over the years, putin speaking about this unnamed patriot in germany who made historic patriotic active duty by putting was talking about him in these glowing terms. he mentioned him, refer to him in his interview with tucker carlson. it was clear that there was a personal relationship there, and this explains why it was important. but another systematic reason why putin was intent getting this person back was because it is the way to perpetuate the system of sending criminals and

assassin's abroad without them fearing that they will end up living the rest of their lives in jails. putin needs to show that he brings these assassin's back in order for him to be able to spend new assassin's in the future. >> i know there had been hope and perhaps almost it happened. and then alexey navalny died that, that, that transaction could have happened to alexey navalny, your dear friend could have could have come out and that that would have been the way the story went it did not. and i know that is a bitter, bittersweet moment for you, even as you have joy for those who are released, that this did not happen. and alexey navalny died in russian prison. but how did that affect this deal? >> it almost torpedo the deal because the original concept was to create this multinational multistate transaction, which would include the person that putin really wants back, deliberate by germany to russia. but germany wanted to do this

transaction or this deal only they could get putin's biggest enemy out incarceration and alive. and would navalny dying in jail? of course, this made the german attitude to this whole deal much, much less interested. and it was, it was there were difficult for this to be revised, revised, germany took the higher moral ground here and said, we will continue pursuing this deal. however, now, putting must pay a much higher price and instead of 1% for this killer, we're going to ask for eight people and they got it and in a way, navalny lead to essentially more freedom for people being freed today through his death, which is something that i wish i think he would have loved to know that happened as a legacy for his self-sacrifice. >> truly bittersweet i want to just ask you about the u.s. prisoners because we've seen all of them except for one vladimir kara murza, green card holder his his wife and family are here in the u.s. just one

month before he was arrested, christo putin invaded ukraine and volodymyr and i were talking, he was on the show and i want to just play for you one thing he said and to hear him and also see how he looked there are absolutely no limits to what vladimir putin can do. i think the world is seeing this loud and clear now as as we're witnessing this large scale land war, this large scale war crime happening right at the heart of europe christa, that was 28 months ago. and as i said, it was just after that. he was traveled, he was arrested and that's the last time that his family seem that that we've seen him we know is health is not good. we know he had been poisoned twice, even prior tohat conversation do you have any idea how he he is doing tonight we're hopeful that he's doing fine. >> we know that some of the people on the plane coming out of turkey today had health

issues. we hope that he is not one of them and i just but looking forward to seeing him and embracing him and he's he's a hero. i really hope that he's in a great physical shape. he's very strong. survived two assassination attempts, and he continued fighting and going back to russia. i think somebody like that definitely will will withstand any physical challenges. >> christo, thank you. very much. joining us. of course, when these early hours now of friday morning in germany awaiting those prisoners as the story is still unfolding and we are awaiting that private plane landing shortly at joint base andrews on that plane is the wall street reporter, wall street journal reporter evan gershkovich. he is there and he will be home very soon. earlier today. he boarded a bus in turkey where part of this journey began, where he was taken after he was released from a russian penal colony. one of his very last acts

before leaving prison when he was technically pardoned by putin, which was just part of the technical process here. he had to fill in a form and he asked on that form in the blank, would putin sit down for an interview with him in front now, simon brooks, one of evan gershkovich, his closest friends. i know that you've been in close contact with evan's family during his detention and simon an incredible night for you a month ago, your friend is sentenced to 16 years and a penal colony and you're thinking you may never see him again. you spoke to him last time the day before he was arrested so now here you are hours away from him landing. what's the first thing you want to say to him when you see him? >> oh, wow i think i just want to say i love you. >> i think what i'm most excited about is to give me a hug see that smile that we've all seen for the past 490 days and see that smile in-person and hopefully make each other laugh you know, you mentioned his smile. we saw him outside of prison for the first time today on the plane, and he's

had that trademarks smile how did, it feel seeing that today i just was a reminder that that's evan. >> that's that's who haven't had that smile. has been so inspiring to his friends, to his family, and it's also just been so comforting through this whole thing. it's his way of telling us like he's doing okay so the other thing i noticed today, of course, and i'm sure everyone did when we see pictures of him and we've seen so many over the past year-and-a-half, right. >> is that he's lost a lot of weight. he looks really thin and i just have to ask you how that feels for you. looking at that, i know he's smiling no, he's coming home but you as someone who loves him so much how's it feel to see that? and just know that there is just such a toll this has taken on your friend yeah, i mean it's been definitely an emotional

over a year and i think it's really painful to see any friend and it's really painful to see evan not lost some weight, but evan is the strongest person i know and, i have so much confidence. >> he's going to bounce back i'm just so excited at this first step of getting him home and getting him back where he should be with his family and his sister. were there. and now we can take the next step and figure out how to get him back to health. >> well, his sister, you mentioned she was at the white house today a. along with his parents. they were with president biden and obviously, i know you're very close to them and have known them for a long time. i mean, what do you think is going through? their minds right now as they just i mean, i can't imagine what it's like for them to just be waiting, especially for his parents to to hug their child i mean, i'll tell you i have texted them so many times being like trying to be supportive and saying i love you and if you need anything and what i've learned over these last 490

days is like they are the strongest family. >> they were support. they supported us. they were our inspiration. they like never wavered and they're truly their heroes. they really are and i'm so proud of them and i'm so happy that they get to be with having now all right. >> simon, thank you very much. i know these next few hours will be incredible for you and for that family. thank you thank you and next, trump amplifying tonight his attacks on harris is race and charlemagne tha god was talked to harris in the past very directly about her race. and this this issue has a lot to say about it. plus j.d. vance coming to trump's defense tonight, you'll hear how he's defending the former president's comments about harris is right? >> when i was diagnosed with hiv, i didn't know who i would be, but here i am being me. >> keep being you and ask your health care provider about the number one prescribed hiv treatment big tauri, which rv is a complete one pill once a

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tv.com i'm coy wire in paris. >> and this is cnn tonight, i showed up. those are the exact words that former president donald trump is using to defend his appearance at the national association of black journalists convention yesterday. an appearance in which he questioned harris's race she was always of indian heritage and she was only promoting indian heritage. i didn't know she was black until a number of years ago when she happened to turn black and now she wants to be known this so i don't know. is she indian or is she black of course. harris is both and has been very clear about that. she spoke extensively about in fact, over the years and to charlemagne tha god, host of the breakfast club radio show. she talked about it i'm black and i'm proud of being black and i was born black. i will die black. and i'm proud of

being black. i'm not going to make any excuses for anybody because they don't understand alright, charlamagne tha god is outfront. he's also the author of a new book called get honest or die lying. why small talk sucks analysis of the moment in which we all live this polarized world that we are living it. so charlemagne trump's not backing away from the controversy today. he went online, he shared a photo of harris wearing a sari. and if family photo and he writes about it, you're warm friendship and love of your indian heritage are very much appreciated okay, so that's what he did today. let me just ask it to you this way though charlemagne does he deserve credit as he says, for showing up? at the black journalists event yesterday please. >> aaron, how long you first and foremost know does he deserve credit know, he doesn't deserve credit. i'm gonna be honest with you. i don't i don't give a about any of this and neither should you like nobody in the media she care donald trump doesn't have any new tricks. he focuses

on identity this is all race. he focuses on gender. it makes white american think that the changing demographics that is country are threatened their livelihood. and he makes some believe we don't take things back to the way they were probably 1950 something that america has. they know it will be ruined is just a distraction like public enemy had album called fear of a black planet, trump tries to scare but people would share of a black and brown america. and we have to stop falling for it we just have to stop all of what all right. >> so today though, you talk about it, you tackled it on your show because it's out there. people are talking about one of your callers actually called it and said something about it that i wanted to play for everyone. so you could explain how this makes you think and feel. here's the color man, the bianna. >> camilla. she already said that she wasn't black. is all everything you didn't add interview? yeah. yeah. yeah i understand. but yes.

>> listen. have you ever read a book no, i don't i don't see right now in her book, she specifically talks about how, you know, her mom definitely instill her indian heritage in her, but also told her she was a black woman and raised her to be a proud boy black interview. she has a verbal interview with a wife. >> as she said, that she is not black, she had indeed lord, have mercy so what what do you do about that what do i do? >> and i tell everybody not to be distracted and i would say the same thing, same thing to the vice president. all the vice president has to do is stay on message. all these conversations about what's black hole he's black will get all that, you know, how are you going to put money in people's pockets? how are you going to keep people safe? that's what both candidates need to be talking about over the next 95

days, we all know kamala harris is black and we all know she's indian, and we also know donald trump is a big get and we know he's divisive. i don't need the media running. donald trump's greatest hits over and over for the next it's 95 days. donald trump as of right now, has no real strategy against the vice president. so they going to say she's a dei hire. they're going to attempt to weaponize her, not having kids. they got question our blackness, ignore it all. erin, listen charlie, i understand what you're talking about. >> the media and i and i'm not taking it personally, but i do think it's important in part because of that yeah no no. i understand. but you know that that call or calls in and, whether whether it should or shouldn't. sometimes it just is if it gets into the ether and it starts affecting how people think and feel then that becomes an actual problem you know, how do you deal that? you get calls like that. you actually have an opportunity to interact with someone to try to explain. do you feel like people here you yes. i have no problem telling that young man he's bugging well, or you could say he's half, right? right. >> because yes the vice

president has said she's indian, which he also says she's black because she's both and that's why we need to ignore it. all the media should focus on whatever candidate is talking about the issues. anything else is not worth the ad time. how many times that donald trump long run the same trick over and over and over and we continue to fall for it and be distracted focus on the issues, focused on the candidate has an actual plan for america. >> all right, so let me ask you if j.d. vance his commenting on her or he's been trying to comment to defend trump's comments about her here's what he said to our steve contorno going to highlight one word here, but let me just play it look all he said is that kamala harris is a chameleon. >> she goes to georgia two days ago. she was raised in canada as she puts on a fake southern accent. she has everything to everybody and she princeton's to be somebody different depending on which audience she's in front of. i think it's totally reasonable for the president to call that out and that's all he did so he calls her a chameleon and it's exact same word actually charlemagne,

that his former friend, longtime friend, used to describe j.d. >> vance to me. here's what she said what i've seen is a chameleon, someone who is able to change their positions and their values depending on what will amass them. >> political power and wealth. and i think that's really unfortunate because it reflects a lack of integrity i'll just note charlemagne that he hears the word chameleon after his friend used it. >> i don't know whether of that whether he saw that it's very possible he did. but you write about this you know, that words matter. you talk about, get honest or die lying. that's your new book. and it's it's about honesty in politics, right? so when people are using words like chameleon, that may be a word, but it gets at something that's quite deep right? what is truth and what is a person actually being genuine? how do you think about this, given where you sit every day, these calls that you get yeah i mean to your point, i have a chapter in my new book

called the language of politics is dead. and i talked about how tired we are of the way politicians talked to us and how everything is to save from folks are too afraid to take chances. and i feel like the internet killed all that, like social media in particular, people have gotten used to hearing ideas and not just ideas, but news all topics and just authentic ways. and two things that i love right now. my critique of the vice president was the person i've known since 2017, the person that we used to see grilling people with senate hearings that individual had disappeared over the last few years, but over the last couple of months, you know, whether there has been her economic opportunity to even out the way she stepped up at biden's terrible debate performance. and of course, now that you know, she's at the top of the ticket, i've seen that real person show up like i've seen that person, you know really come to the forefront and i think, you know, as long as we see more of the real her over the next 95 days she she can probably win this thing. so i'm definitely not seen a chameleon and vice

president kamala harris right now, i'm seeing the person that i know on on air and off. >> all right. well, charlemagne tha god, thank you very much. again, your book. get honest or die lying. why small talk sucks, just to make sure everybody knows it is out now and charlemagne, it's great to see you. thank you. >> fees air. >> all right. >> next american marc fogel, he has been held in russia for three years. and tonight, he is still there. he was not included in the prisoner swap and his sister is next i didn't. >> redo this last year before you were preventing migraine with kuleba, remember the pain canceled plans, the worry that was then and look at me now, you'll never truly forget migraine, but you lived or reduces attack it's making brain days possible. it's the only pill of its kind that blocks cgrp and is approved to prevent migraine of any frequencies help give you that forget you get migraine feeling. don't take if allergic if you liptak most common side effects are nausea, constipation, and sleepiness. learn how api could help you save q liptak that forget you get migraine medicine judge.

>> oliver garland was known for his nomination to the united states supreme court that didn't die of natural causes he was murdered the judge had a lot of enemies the name of the game, trust me someone has been following me for days florida where he wouldn't do have already done it when you're the leader, has disaster clean up and restoration, how do you make like it never even happened? >> brandi whatever comes your way there's a pro for that you're from like never even happened these sherman ultra

smooth tier as we've tear so much better starting to get deri designed with tear terrigenous showman, ultrasounds. >> smooth hair has wavy perforations that tears so much better for a smooth, more enjoyable go plus it has more cushing softness than ordinary squares try sharman ultra-safe smooth tear voted number one product of the year. >> i'm katie bo lillis in washington and vip is cnn new tonight left behind american teacher marc fogel of montana. tonight remains in a russian penal colony. he was not part of today's prisoner swap that freed 24 other detainees the 63-year-old was arrested in the moscow airport in 2021. the reason he had half an ounce of prescribed medical marijuana in his luggage prescribed medical

marijuana for that he was sentenced to 14 years in prison his sister, anne is outfront now, and you and i have spoken over the years here would have hoped tonight would have been very different conversation, but a senior administration officials telling us and i'm quoting them, we absolutely wanted mark to be included, but it just wasn't going to happen how devastating is this day for you the last 36 hours have been have been gut wrenching we knew that something was going on yesterday from the from the news feeds and we started calling our senators and the ambassadors that we knew and the state department and we really hope that they were going to get mark on the plane. >> we do that it was going to be happening very quickly but mark called me yesterday morning and when i realized

that he was in robin, i knew that things were not going well because he should have been gone and it's it's been it's been a rollercoaster. it's been a roller coaster. no sleep i feel like we've been kind of collectively stabbed in the back mark. is, you know, they've asked for his humanitarian released, but of course russia does not release on humanitarian grounds and has had no history of ever doing that and then not really liking us very well. anyway so it's kind of insult to injury that he still has not been designated as wrongfully detained. >> and you and i have spoken

about that over these years and you've been pleading with the biden administration tim, because those words matter. there's a formal designation wrongfully detained it official, and it's an important first step in terms of any kind of release are a negotiation they used the words today when talking about him, but that formal designation has not happened why not said anything to you as to why no after multiple documents signed by mark by our family, they will not give us any adequate answers as to why he has been designated as as brittney was. >> i mean, there their cases are nearly identical for any griner same court different sentences. both were sentenced to the maximum but there was a

report given a classified report given in june, and they they didn't even really have the facts of the case straight. it's as if they have market been prioritized through this entire process. it's been it's been one of the most frustrating times of my life to not be heard or taken seriously we don't have the nba and we don't have the wall street journal backing us. and we've mark has been largely ignored and he needs the designation because he needs real medical treatment he fell. he's fallen multiple times. it's very cold

where he is and there's lots of ice things are just not going well for him he spent the last month at a hospital where there are no doctors that he's given multitude of injections and not having any clear understanding of what they're giving him or and you can imagine how terrifying that would be and it's hard to imagine it. >> but when we can all see the pain that your in your families and i know you're 95-year-old mother. and our thoughts are all with you. i know on a day that is full of joy for other families it's important to see the pain that you are. you are going through your family thank you for sharing it thank you