It was initially reported that Putin offered Griner or Whelan to Biden in exchange for Bout. Griner is the WNBA player who refuses to come out of the locker room while the National Anthem is being player She stated that the NA does not represent all Americans because it was first written and composed while slavery still existed.
https://www.sportskeeda.com/basketball/news-why-brittney-griner-hates-america-trending-all-need-know
She isn't looking at the big picture scores of men on battlefields and on seas have given their lives protecting the flag and the rights made under it. Why is it so hard to stand for 1 minute and 56 seconds to give thanks and respect for those men that died protecting the flag and what it stands for? If you want to protest, fine, but but find a less patriotic method.
And by the way, Andrea Mitchell of NBC, first reported that Biden was offered Whelan, an active U.S Marine or Griner, a WNBA basketball star, in swap for Bout. This is what Mitchell reported. "The Kremlin gave the White House the choice of either Griner or Whelan — or none." It is thought to be that NBC sanitized the story to read, "The Kremlin ultimately gave the White House the choice of either Griner or no one."
Supposedly, Biden made his pick using the politics of the day by choosing Griner, a female of color and a lesbian. The White House press secretary made the statement, not me.