Freed American Hostage Marc Fogel Arrives at White House: ‘I Love Our Country’
“I feel like the luckiest man on Earth right now. And I want you to know that I am not a hero in this at all. And President Trump is a hero.”
Before his speech in Butler, PA, President Donald Trump promised Marc Fogel’s 95-year-old mother he would release her son from a Russian prison.
Trump vowed to keep that promise even after an assassin tried to kill him later that day.
Trump and his envoy announced Fogel’s release early Tuesday.
Trump, the president of the most powerful country in the world, stood outside in the cold and snow to personally greet and welcome Fogel home.
Welcome home, Marc Fogel.
pic.twitter.com/3WJ2uDDfm5
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) February 12, 2025
MARC FOGEL: I feel like the luckiest man on Earth right now. And I want you to know that I am not a hero in this at all. And President Trump is a hero.
These men that came from the diplomatic service are heroes. The senators and representatives that passed legislation in my honor to get me home are the heroes. I am in awe of what they all did.
My family has been a force. I think my 95 year old mother is probably the most dynamic 95 year old on Earth right now. And I am so indebted to so many people.
I think I remember a Churchill quote that he said when the RAF was fighting to lift off. And he said that never have so many owed so much to so few. And I put myself fortunately and unfortunately into that category.
And I said never has one owed so much to so many that this super organism of people that came to my support and the love that I was given sustained me for three and a half years in a prison that had me in hospitals for more than 100 days. I was given more than 400 injections in that time. And knowing I had the support of my fellow Pennsylvanians, my family, my friends, it was so overwhelming that it brought me to my knees and it brought me to tears.
But it was my energy. It was my being that kept me going that whole time. And I will forever be indebted to President Trump, to Steve over there.
What a dynamic man this guy is. When I met him, the energy, the can-do attitude just exudes from his body. And when he smiled at me and introduced me and I got the feel for what has happened, you know, it’s not just me, it’s everybody.
And Secretary Rubio, who met my son a while back. I’m a middle-class schoolteacher who’s now in a dream world.
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: We’re going to show you the Lincoln bedroom. It’s a very special, special place. Appropriate for tonight.
Very appropriate.
FOGEL: And thank you all. And I love our country. And I’m so happy to be back here.
And I wish I could articulate it better.
TRUMP: You’ve done beautifully. And he’s got a great mother. And when I saw the mother at a rally, she said, if you win, will you get my son out?
And I promise she’s 95 years old. And I said, we’ll get him out. And we got him out pretty quickly.
FOGEL: She told me that exact words.
"When I saw [Marc Fogel's] mother at a rally, she said, 'If you win, will you get my son out?' I promised her—she’s 95 years old—and I said, 'We’ll get him out,' and we got him out pretty quickly." –President Donald J. Trump
— President Donald J. Trump (@POTUS) February 12, 2025
I was with Mrs Fogel at the Trump rally on July 13th. We spent a lot of time together. She was sitting next to my wife & me. She’s an incredible woman.
I watched her speak to President Trump. He just listened the entire time while she told him about her son Marc who’s been… pic.twitter.com/ivy3CGd0HK— Sean Parnell (@SeanParnellUSA) February 11, 2025
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Comments
I he had a decent jump shot, he would have been out years ago.
Or black gay man
I do wonder what he was doing over there
Surely he wasn’t stupid enough to actually be bringing medical MJ with him?
His mother is the youngest looking 95 y/o I think I’ve ever seen!
Welcome back
Biden is a dick, sorry, but he is amd everyone that helped him steal the election and everyone that tried to destroy our great nation
They were very close in succeeding
And we’re not out of the woods by a long shot
Trump is amazing, I remember when we had people pushing DeSantis on us. I think DeSantis has merit, but not anywhere the same as Trump’s capabilities.
You are the turd in the punch bowl. We are all enjoying Trump’s actions but there is no need to disrespect the best Governor in the country.
John said DeSantis had merit. He’s expressing an opinion, and, he did it civilly. You’re the one who took his opinion personally, and childishly and stupidly resorted to slinging insults.
You’re hyper-sensitive and out of line.
And, I write this — not that it matters — as a Florida resident and a staunch DeSantis supporter. Calling people “turds” for merely expressing a preference for #47 over DeSantis is uncalled-for.
‘I Love Our Country’
Then, please, sir, do not drape its flag over your shoulders like a scarf. I get you. I feel you. But please look at the flag code and show some proper respect for the symbol of the country you so love.
Welcome HOME!
Another promise kept!
Three weeks in, and it feels like we’ve travelled light years to a universe of strength and reason run by adults.
Beautiful, liberating events such as this bring into sharp focus just how evil, perverse, corrupt, weak and debauched the previous administration actually was.
I cannot share a country with those people, nor those who sought to vote 4 more years of that debauchery.
They must be utterly broken, crushed, exterminated w/ extreme prejudice, then burned w/ fire, and their ashes scattered to the wind as their souls rot in h3ll.
ALL politically speaking, of course.
Never again. Never again. Never again.
It would have been better to have been jailed on a trumped-up charge than to be arrested for your own stupidity. Are there really people so dumb to take any forbidden drug into a dictator-run country where the law is a joke?
I’m betting that we didn’t have to trade an international terrorist arms dealer for him
Probably not. Putin saw a chance to get something from a feckless President and took it.
The guy tried to bring illegal drugs into a foreign country and like that basketball player got caught and thrown in jail. People should stop making this guy out to be some type of hero. If you don’t want to go into a foreign jail then don’t violate their laws. Pretty simple.
Maybe next time don’t be a jerk American who thinks he can flout the laws of any other country he happens to visit and get away with it. Who do you think you are? A WNBA player?
You weren’t important enough to trade for an international arms dealer or even a low level drug smuggler.
Why you weren’t left in a Russian prison defies decency and common sense.
Can we get Tina Peters released now….please???!!!!