Fogel Family Reunites, Trump Prioritizes American Hostages in Other Nations
Last July, 95-year-old Malphine Fogel asked presidential hopeful Donald Trump to not forget her son.
At the time, Marc Fogel, a school teacher and Butler County native, had spent almost three years in a Russian prison colony. Malphine had dedicated countless hours to ending his unjust imprisonment.
“[Mr. Trump] was just as cordial as he could be,” she recalled of that sweltering Pennsylvania day. “He told me three different times, ‘If I get in, I’ll get [Marc] out.’”
Just minutes later, the candidate took a bullet to the ear, and the rally Malphine had been scheduled to address broke into chaos.
Perhaps Mr. Trump could have been forgiven for forgetting his promise to Fogel’s mother. But this week, the new President proved his memory had not lapsed.
Marc Fogel touched American soil for the first time in more than three years on Tuesday night.
“President Trump is a hero,” the overwhelmed man told the press shortly after he arrived at the White House, an American flag draped around his neck:
Malphine didn’t know her ordeal was over until her son called from outside his cell.
“It was a total surprise when he called and said he was in the Moscow airport,” she told America Reports. “That meant they had taken him out of the prison.”
Of the President, Malphine told reporters:
A promise made should always be a promises kept. But the Fogels had plenty of reason to doubt authorities’ word.
While President Biden had secured the release of other prisoners from Russia — women’s basketball star Brittney Griner, Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, Marine veteran Paul Whelan and Russian-American journalist Alsu Kurmasheva — Mr. Fogel’s fate remained a mystery.
In fact, the Biden Administration didn’t even classify Fogel “wrongfully detained” until December 2024.
The designation isn’t meaningless. When the State Department labels an American “wrongfully detained” in another country, it launches a federal effort, a frees up federal resources, to get them back home.
In June 2024, Malphine finally sued the State Department to change her son’s distinction to “wrongfully detained.” A Russian court had sentenced to him to 14 years for drug trafficking and after finding less than an ounce of medical marijuana in his luggage.
The case bore striking resemblance to that of Griner, Malphine argued, who was detained for possessing vape cartridges with cannabis oil. The Biden Administration secured Griner’s release in December 2022 in exchange for the release of international arms dealer.
Officials reportedly changed Fogel’s designation to “wrongfully detained” in October 2024 but, as The New York Times wrote, “It [is] unclear why the department waited until [December] to announce the change in classification.”
In the first three-odd weeks of his presidency, Trump and his crack team of diplomatic envoys have secured the release of seven other Americans detained in other countries — six from Venezuela, one from Hamas and another from Russia.
Russian-American ballerina Ksenia Karelina, sentenced to 12 years for donating $51 dollars to a Ukrainian charity, began her flight back to America on Friday, February 14, according to Fox News. Her status was changed to “wrongfully detained” in January.
Stephen James Hubbard’s status was also changed to “wrongfully detained” last month. He is serving more than six years in Russia as an accused “Ukrainian mercenary.” It’s unclear whether his release is forthcoming.
The Trump administration has promised swift military retaliation if Hamas fails to release the remaining hostages in its custody, including six Americans. Only two are believed to be alive.
The Daily Citizen thanks God for the families that have been reunited this week and prays fervently for those who are mourning the absence of their loved ones. We hope you will join us.
