In an exclusive interview with CNN’s Jake Tapper, Reed appeared to take aim at a group of House GOP lawmakers, including Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, that he said slowed passage of a resolution last year calling for his release. “I’m going to go to every single one of their campaigns and thank them personally about that,” he said.
“How do you justify that? That’s embarrassing to me that anyone that represent the United States would vote against something like that. I’m sure that the Russians loved that. I’m sure that they’re all big fans of all of those congressmen who did that,” Reed continued. “That’s completely unacceptable to me. it’s embarrassing. And I better not see that ever happen again to any other Americans because I promise that I will be at every single campaign that that person runs for the rest of their life to tell everyone that they did that.”
Greene’s office did not immediately respond to CNN’s request for comment.
Reed’s father, Joey, expressed frustration with Greene, as well as “her cronies and that small group of idiots.”
“We heard nothing from Marine Corps. Not a single representative from the Marine Corps. No Marine Corps groups,” he told Tapper.
The Marines did not address the substance of Joey Reed’s complaint, but told CNN in a statement: “Trevor Reed served his country honorably as a marine and we thank him for his service. We are happy he has returned home safely and wish him and his family the best as they reunite.”
Reed was sentenced to nine years in prison in July 2020 after being accused of endangering the “life and health” of Russian police officers in an altercation the previous year. He and his family have denied the charges against him. Ultimately, Reed was returned to the US as part of a prisoner swap in exchange for Konstantin Yaroshenko, a Russian smuggler convicted of conspiring to import cocaine. The US commuted his sentence.
“We need to do absolutely everything we can, as Americans, to advocate for those Americans who are being held illegally overseas and do every single thing we can possible to get them out,” Reed told CNN.
