Pennsylvania teacher Marc Fogel praised President Trump, calling him "a hero" on Tuesday in his first remarks since the Trump administration secured his release from a Russian prison. "I'm so excited," Fogel told Trump upon his return to the U.S., standing outside a snow-covered White House with an American flag wrapped around his shoulders.
As they shook hands, Trump patted Fogel's arm and offered a warm embrace. Both men exchanged smiles, marking the teacher's homecoming before stepping inside the White House Diplomatic Reception Room to void the cold. Fogel, 63, was arrested at an airport in 2021 for the illegal possession of medical cannabis and slapped with a 14-year sentence.
Freed at Last
"I feel like the luckiest man on Earth right now. I want you to know that I am not a hero in this at all. And President Trump is a hero," Fogel said after meeting Trump. "These men that came from the diplomatic service are heroes," Fogel continued.
"The senators and representatives that passed legislation in my honor – they got me home – they are heroes."
"I am in awe of what they all did."
House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.), Sen. Dave McCormick (R-Pa.), and Rep. Brian Mast (R-Fla.) were among several prominent figures who stood behind the president, eagerly waiting to shake hands with an overjoyed Fogel.
Fogel had been held in Russia for the past three and a half years after being arrested with what he insisted was legally prescribed marijuana. He recounted the harrowing experience of his imprisonment, revealing that he spent more than 100 days in medical facilities and underwent over 400 injections during his time behind bars.
He recounted the terrifying ordeal of his detention in Russia, saying that he spent more than 100 days in medical facilities and underwent over 400 injections during his three and a half years of imprisonment.
Freed after Painful Experience
Earlier in the day, National Security Adviser Mike Waltz announced that Trump, Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, and other advisers had successfully "negotiated an exchange" for Fogel. Waltz described the deal "serves as a show of good faith from the Russians and a sign we are moving in the right direction to end the brutal and terrible war in Ukraine."
Witkoff accompanied Fogel on his journey back to the U.S. ahead of his welcome at the White House.
The White House later released a photo showing Fogel draped in an American flag, wearing a Pittsburgh Steelers beanie, and raising his fist in the air as he stepped off the plane at Joint Base Andrews near Washington, D.C.
"PROMISES MADE, PROMISES KEPT!!!" read an X post by the White House, sharing the image.
It remains uncertain which Russian detainees—or how many—the U.S. agreed to release in exchange for Fogel's freedom.
"This is a case that languished under the Biden administration," Secretary of State Marco Rubio said of Fogel's detention during an interview with Fox News host Sean Hannity. "They really didn't give it priority."
"It is really a happy occasion for all Americans but certainly for Mr. Fogel's family," Rubio added.
