Photo from U.S. Government/@POTUS on X

President Biden announced a multi-country prisoner swap that freed several Americans held captive in Russia, as the White House touted a major diplomatic victory less than six months before Biden leaves office.

The president credited Turkey, Germany, Poland, Slovenia and Norway for helping negotiate the release of three U.S. citizens, one American green card holder, five Germans and seven Russians being held as political prisoners in their own country. 

The newly-freed Americans:

• Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich. Gershkovich was arrested in Russia in March 2023 while on assignment. He was accused of spying and sentenced to 16 years in prison, making him the first American journalist to be detained in Russia since the Cold War. Gershkovich requested an interview with Putin on his way out.
  
  
• Former U.S. Marine Paul Whelan. Whelan was arrested in Russia in 2018 and sentenced to 16 years in prison. The U.S. tried but failed to include him in the 2022 prisoner swap that resulted in the release of U.S. Marine Trevor Reed and WNBA star Brittney Griner.  
  
  
• Reporter Alsu Kurmasheva, a U.S.-Russian citizen.
  
  
• Vladimir Kara-Murza, a U.S. green card holder and prominent critic of the Russian government.

Among those freed by the West:

• Vadim Krasikov, a convicted Russian assassin. Read more about Krasikov here.

Details and color coming out of today’s news:

• Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny was supposed to be part of the prisoner swap but he died in prison in February.
  
  
• Biden was finalizing the details of the prisoner exchange on the same day he announced he was dropping out of the race for the White House, per communications director Ben LaBolt.
  
  
• Vice President Harris had meetings with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Slovenian Prime Minister Robert Golob at key moments during the negotiations.
  
  
• Here’s a picture of the freed Americans holding the flag.
  
  
• The Wall Street Journal newsroom celebrated Gershkovich’s release.

Biden marked the release with remarks at the White House, where he was surrounded by family members of the freed hostages.

“Their brutal ordeal is over,” the president said.

“I will not stop working until every American wrongfully detained or held hostage around the world is reunited with their family…Still, too many families are suffering and separated from their loved ones, and I have no higher priority as President than bringing those Americans home.”

Former President Trump’s running mate, Sen. JD Vance (R-Ohio), reacted to the news by arguing Russian President Vladmir Putin was trying to take advantage of a weak Biden administration before Trump takes office.

“We certainly want these Americans to come back home…But we have to ask ourselves, why are they coming home?…it’s because bad guys all over the world recognize Donald Trump’s about to be back in office, so they’re cleaning house.”

Trump pressed for more details on Truth Social, questioning whether cash had been exchanged or sanctions lifted. The White House denied the claims.

The historic prisoner swap comes as Biden plots his final six months in office and the end to his decades-long political career.

• In recent days, Biden has signaled he’d use his lame-duck period to push for new Supreme Court reforms, and a workaround for a student debt relief plan that the high court swatted down earlier this year.

While the White House celebrated one international victory, another of Biden’s foreign policy initiatives seemed to move further away.

• Biden’s push for a ceasefire in Gaza and his efforts to secure the release of hostages held by Hamas suffered a setback after Israeli airstrikes killed leaders of Hamas and Hezbollah in Iran and Lebanon.
  
  
• Iran is vowing to retaliate, pushing the Middle East to the brink of a large-scale war.
  
  
• The White House said this week that an escalation is not inevitable, but Trump’s former national security adviser John Bolton said the “wider war” is already underway.

Perspectives:

• Russia is using American journalists as pawns.

Read more:

• 9/11 planners strike plea deal with U.S.; get life in prison instead of death penalty.
  
• Vance calls 9/11 plea a ‘sweetheart deal’ for terrorists.
• Iran seeks revenge on Israel, sparking fears of all out war.
• Cease-fire hopes dampened.

Welcome to Evening Report! I’m Jonathan Easley, catching you up from the afternoon and what’s coming tomorrow. Not on the list? Subscribe here.

• Senate Republicans blocked a bipartisan bill to expand the child tax credit.
  
  
• The Supreme Court is set to take up major education cases on student loans and transgender protections. 
  
  

• Republicans launch last ditch effort against marijuana rescheduling.
  
  

• What happened to Venezuela’s democracy? The Biden administration is “running out” of patience for Maduro to back up his election claims.

©  AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast

Republicans are scolding former President Trump for his racial attack on Vice President Harris, believing it’s a losing message that sets the party up for defeat in November.

Trump on Wednesday questioned whether Harris is really Black, or if she is trying to identify that way for political gain.

The remarks at the National Association of Black Journalists convention set off a media firestorm and provoked blowback from both sides of the aisle.

“It’s not a great idea for either of the parties to be playing racial identity politics, whether it’s ‘white dudes for Kamala’ or whatever this is. … We should spend less time talking about race and more time talking about how we’re going to get people to work,” Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) told Axios.

“It’s unacceptable and abhorrent to attack Vice President Harris or anyone’s racial identity. The American people deserve better,” GOP Senate candidate and former Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan said on X.

“The campaign is, needs to be, must be about the issues, and there’s plenty to talk about. I just think that’s where the focus needs to be. That’s how we’re going to win in November,” Senate GOP leader John Thune (S.D.) told The Hill.

The remarks set Harris up for an easy rebuke. At a campaign rally in Houston, Harris cast herself as a uniter against Trump’s divisive rhetoric.

“The American people deserve better. The American people deserve a leader who tells the truth, a leader who does not respond with hostility and anger when confronted with the facts. We deserve a leader who understands that our differences do not divide us — they are an essential source of our strength.”

Trump doubled down in a post on Truth Social.

“Crazy Kamala is saying she’s Indian, not Black. This is a big deal. Stone cold phony. She uses everybody, including her racial identity!”

Republicans have been attacking Harris for her policy flip-flops — she has moved to the center on a handful of issues after tacking hard to the left in the 2020 Democratic primary — while Trump’s team has sought to cast Harris as a political shapeshifter who will say or do anything to get elected.

Trump’s running mate, Sen. JD Vance (R-Ohio), made this case when asked about Trump’s remarks.

“She is not who she pretends to be. She’ll say one thing to one audience, another thing to another audience. … She’s flip-flopped on every issue. She’s fake, she’s phony.”

Perspectives:

The Free Press: Republicans, you’re going after Harris all wrong.

The Hill: Vance’s disparagement of childless Americans will haunt GOP.

Read more:

• Trump’s national security split with Republicans raises alarms.
• Vance leads $20 million effort to turn out young men.

The race for the White House is officially a “toss-up,” according to Nate Silver’s election model.

The polling since Vice President Harris entered the race has closed dramatically.

The latest from GOP pollster Public Opinion Strategies:

PA: Harris +3
WI: Harris +2
AZ: Trump +5
NV: Trump +1
MI: Tied

There is evidence that the Trump campaign is suddenly on the defensive, with Medium reporting the Trump campaign is going up with new ads in North Carolina. The Tarheel State is technically a battleground, but Trump has led consistently there and it’s only gone for Democrats once since 1980.

In the new Cook Political Report national polling average, Harris has cut Trump’s lead in half. Trump now has a 1.3 point lead.

More good news for Harris:

• The United Autoworkers endorsed Harris, giving her a boost in the Midwest.
• Everytown for Gun Safety is pumping $45 million into ads promoting her candidacy in battleground states.
• The Veepstakes has invigorated Democrats, who believe they have a deep bench of contenders beyond 2024.

While polls show Harris instantly united the party behind her candidacy, she still has work to do:

• Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro appears to be a top contender to be Harris’s running mate. But progressives are sounding the alarm, pushing back on his pro-Israel stance and his past support for private school vouchers.
• While some Democrats are thrilled to see Harris leaning into her background as a prosecutor, some liberals are calling on her to address mass incarceration and to drop her prosecutor vs. criminal line against Trump.
• Harris is backtracking on another 2020 position, saying she no longer believes in a federal jobs guarantee, which is part of the Green New Deal.
• There are questions about whether Harris’ reversal on a fracking ban will play in Rust Belt states, such as Pennsylvania.

Perspectives:

• Lee Fang: Searching for the real Harris.
• The Liberal Patriot: The Harris coalition is not the second coming of the Obama coalition
• The Nation: We get to decide what’s possible under a future Harris administration, by Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.).

©  Michele Crowe/CBS via AP

Deadline is keeping track of all the media layoffs so far in 2024.

Here’s a rundown of the latest moves on the media front:

• CBS Evening News anchor Norah O’Donnell will step down after the election and take a new position within CBS.
• Disney is laying off 2 percent of its workforce in television, while ABC and “Good Morning America” are bracing for cuts.
• The Hill’s Hanna Trudo scoops: CNN will be shutting down its opinion section.
• Police in the U.K. are reviewing accusations against Washington Post publisher Will Lewis surrounding the phone hacking scandal from 13 years ago.
• Crooked Media, the parent company that produces the popular liberal podcast “Pod Save America,” is dealing with an internal rebellion over workplace practices.
• Don Lemon is suing Elon Musk over his canceled deal on X.

“What ever happened to RFK Jr.?” by Ed Kilgore for Intelligencer. 

“Presidential marathon becomes a sprint to the finish,” by Karl Rove for The Wall Street Journal.

18 days until the Democratic National Convention.

40 days until the second presidential debate (maybe).

96 days until the 2024 general election.

172 days until Inauguration Day 2025.

TONIGHT

• The Democratic National Committee begins its roll call vote to nominate Harris for president.
• 11:30 p.m. Biden and Harris greeting freed Americans at Joint Base Andrews 

There a story you think should be getting more attention? Something people should be talking about? Drop me a line: jeasley@digital-release.thehill.com

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